I had heard a rumor that Paddy Keenan is a closet bodhran player… who among us has any information on this…I must dispell this rumor! 
That’s attrocious… I am disgusted! :roll:
Patrick.
I’ve seen him play the banjo. We all have our dark sides. 
It may simply be a rumor, but I have heard from a friend that said a friend of hers had a cousin whose sister’s boyfriend’s auntie saw him play a kazoo…make of it what you will…I don’t intend to get any rumors started here…but… 
I wouldn’t let Paddy hear you talking like that… he’ll whoop yer ass! 
Patrick
Now Patrick …stop being such a Bodhranphobe! I play bodhran and I bet Paddy does to…why ,lets just admit it, we all play bodhran when others arent around and we all enjoy it! 
How much you want bet Paddy is a closet bodhran player…perhaps you would put your pipes on it???
You should see Davey Spillane play the Fender Jazz or the Sax…some man I tell you and i ain’t jokin either!!!
Don’t know about the bodhran, but Paddy is apparently also a closet sax player. Word has it he also owns an accordion.
He played geetar in a skiffle band or something when he was a teenager.
Hello, my name is Joseph, and…and…I’m a bodhran-a-holic 
I was excited by the Subject; I thought that Paddy had sat on one. Oh well…
Hello Joseph…
Hello, my name is Joseph, and…and…I’m a bodhran-a-holic
There’s the Dark Side, and then there’s … Permanent Night!
Come into the light, Joseph! Give up yer aul bodhrán ways and put your hands to God’s purpose, i.e pipes! You cayun be saved!
Seriously, though, I love the thump of a good bodhrán. Only those with no sense of rhythm need be afraid of them.
djm
Uilleann bagpipes - (noun) - A musical instrument consisting of a combination of a brassiere, whoopie cushion and kazoo.
Rhythm? Rhythm? Personally, I’ve never had a need for rhythm.
In the right hands, and tastefully played, the bodhran is a great addition to a set of tunes. I think I would grow tired of hearing it on every tune, but that does depend on who’s playing it.
I heard a rumor that David Power, a well known bodhranphobe, actually enjoyed being backed by Paddy Keenan on Bodhran??? Did ya ever notice that Tony , of this forum, always has a photo of just about everything we talk about…Does anyone have proof of the Power/Keenan bodhran affair?? Tony???
If you want to hear some great Bodhran playing check out the band Flook, with John Joe Kelly on bodhran. Just dynamite playing, very inventive without being overbearing.
It’s just my take, but I’d say most people, entering a room full of ITM instruments, would look at a set of pipes and take a step back in fear, try to honk on a flute and maybe get a bit of a whining noise, not even touch a fiddle BUT! Then they see the bodhran, their eyes light up and they start pounding away. 'Cos drums are simple, right? Grrrrrrrrrrrr.
Mark (spot the closet bodhranist)
I was once at a session where an elderly rather frail looking gentleman
walked in with a sax case. He took out an alto sax and played the best set of reels you ever heard (on a saxophone). ornamentation, rolls everything. He could only play a few reels and jigs. He was an old jazzer who had a real passion for ITM. He also played bodhran. He was the quietest bodhran player, but he put a load of funky stuff in. You needed to listen really quietly or you would miss it. He played with brushes (or a brush)
A fellow here got the ends of his tipper remade to be of wrapped felt, much like a regular drumstick for bass or tom-toms. It muffled the sound nicely while allowing him the freedom to play normally, so that he was never too loud, but always present. He had the good taste to know when and when not to play, as well, so was always welcome.
djm
I usually stitch leather around both ends of the tipper. It produces a mellow sounding strike, but you can still get a good ‘rattle’ when you have a mind. Plus, it makes keeping the drum quieter a lot easier to do. But the way I like to play is simply with my first and middle finger, using the back or ‘inside hand’ to play embellishing notes…great…I have now admitted to playing the darn thing… :roll:
A 9" tipper with 1" knobs on the end and a bump to fit between the thumb and forefinger gives me the most control. It gives neat little rim shots that sort of “tick” instead of going “CLACK”. You can be really quiet or obnoxious at your pleasure.
I wish I could find another just like the one I lost, but I think I will have to get a woodworker to lathe me out what I want.
I caught a Northern Ireland fiddler one year at the Galax Old Time Fiddlers Convention and did a few whistle tunes with him, dropped by with my bodhran later and noticed that he rolled his eyes. After a few tunes, he said, “You are pretty good on the bodhran. I can’t even hear you playing it!”