Tomorrow marks the end of the first ever Fleadh Cheoil to be held in Belfast, and the event has been hailed as a great success on a number of fronts. AdvertisementBad rapI refer to the bodhrán, the round handheld percussion instrument which signifies traditional Irish music all around the world. And yet, the bodhrán had to fight for recognition in the Irish musical scene. And by 1973 it was included as a category in the Fleadh Cheoil, the first winner being a John O’Dwyer from Leeds. In 2026, it’s hard to imagine Irish music without a bodhrán in there somewhere.