The creation and rise of the Irish bodhrán
by Fintan Vallely

Brought to public attention by the playwright John B Keane in the middle of the 20th century, the Irish bodhrán is now all but symbolic of Ireland. Virtually unknown until the 1960s, it was introduced to traditional music by the composer Seán Ó Riada and rapidly developed by a number of skilled players and makers. Tonight, Dr Fintan Vallely traces the fascinating story of this instrument from its ancient historical origins to its modern-day popularity, recently expanded upon in his book Beating Time: the story of the Irish bodhrán (2025).

Fintan Vallely is a traditional music practitioner as well as a writer and speaker on the subject. A performer since his younger teens in the early 1960s, he has travelled widely playing music. He published the first tutor for Irish flute, Timber (1986), and teaches flute at workshops internationally as well as at the annual Scoil Samhraidh Willie Clancy in Co. Clare.