* What's that there drum called? 

I'll tell you, I've heard some strange pronunciations of the word 'bodhrán', from the backwards BOWED-ran (rhymes with SNOWED-can) to the British bah-RAHN (rhymes with ma-DAWN).  Every time I run into a native Irish speaker, I ask them how THEY pronounce the name of my drum.  That's not been the sure-fire test either, as there are several regional dialects of Irish.  Here's the best synthesis of what I've heard and learned:

I hope this helps you in the elusive hunt for the Irish pronunciation of the word bodhrán.


Send questions and comments on the pronunciation of the word bodhrán to brenda@bsutton.com.