Cork man beats a drum for the fascinating history of the bodhrán
Ruairi Glasheen from Cork digs deep on the history of the bodhrán.
When percussionist and filmmaker Ruairí Glasheen delves into the history and origins of the bodhrán in his new four-part documentary about the drum often hailed as the heartbeat of Irish music, what he reveals to viewers is the instrument’s surprising modernity.
“So Seán Ó Riada took what was then called the tambourine in Ireland and he changed the name to the bodhrán: up until that point, we think, the bodhrán was a skin tray for carrying things, storing things and serving up potatoes,” Glasheen explains.
