h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

The bodhrán's not just Irish, it's at least Scottish as well and possibly found in other Celtic countries.
I think.

There is evidence to suggest that the prototype for the Bodhrán (pronounced bow-rawn) arrived in Ireland through the Roman Empire or through Arabic traders. The frame drum is used today in Algeria, Morocco, Basque country, Lapland, China, Russia, Mongolia, and many other countries. It's also still used by the native American Indians and many other indigenous peoples throughout the world.
The majority of these drums are used purely in religious or cultural festivals, and it is only in countries such as Ireland, the Basque country and Spain, where they are an integral part of musical entertainment. And it is only in Ireland that the frame drum has reached a high degree of sophistication.
There is also a theory that the Bodhrán evolved from a skin tray used for winnowing (separating chaff from grain). Such trays have been well known in the celtic world for over a thousand years.