Drum players besiege Irish island
Every summer, the small Irish island of Inis 脫irr is invaded with drum players from all over the world who want to learn how to play the traditional Bodhr谩n.
Inis 脫irr, Ireland
鈥� A local, slice-of-life story from a Monitor correspondent.
The small island of Inis 脫irr, off Ireland鈥檚 west coast, was spared the tougher effects of colonization. Here, the Irish language is still seen and heard all over the island. But every summer, Inis 脫irr has to contend with its own kind of invasion 鈥� drums.
Drum players attend a summer drum school here from all over the world. They and their drums dot the landscape like beetles as they make their way up the hills of Inis 脫irr to class.
The Bodhr谩n is a traditional Irish drum, typically made of goatskin stretched over a circular wooden frame. Its exact origins are obscure, although it was used in pagan rituals. In the 1950s, it began to enter the canon of Irish traditional musical instruments. 鈥淚 think it gives you a chance to connect with the rhythms that you hear every day,鈥� says Elizabeth Moylan from Galway, Ireland, on a break from her drumming. 鈥淭hese rhythms exist all around you, if you listen.鈥�