The bodhrán is the heartbeat of Irish music. This ancient framedrum is traditionally made with a wooden body and a goat-skin head, and is played with a double-headed stick called a cipín, tipper, or beater. The modern Irish word bodhrán is properly pronounced bow-rawn, like Cow brawn, with a slight emphasis on the first syllable.

The crossbars were originally used to prevent the warping of the rim, which was made of wood that was bent green. Modern methods eliminate the structural purpose of the crossbars, and many drummakers now omit them. Bodhráns were traditionally made with goatskin, sheepskin, and greyhound skin heads. Skins were prepared by burying them in lime for six to eight weeks, then soaking them in a river to wash away the hair.

The bodhrán is an old drum but a young musical instrument. The drum languished for centuries outside the realm of musical performance. It was used in warfare and in various local celebrations, mostly as a noisemaker or primitive rhythm instrument. Until modern times, it was used by mummers and wren-boys in various local festivals. It apparently served double-duty as a husk sifter and grain tray. Although it has existed in Ireland for centuries, it was introduced into traditional music performance only in the 1960s by groups such as The Chieftains, and became common only in the 1970s.