Bodhrans developed from round trays used for carrying cut peat. Such trays can still be seen today on remote small holdings. I once asked the late Seamus Maeker why, as peat bricks are oblong cut with a standard sized peat spade, the trays were not made square or straight-sided. He looked at me with pity and then said, "Jeez you English are stupid. If the peat is staright and the tray is straight, sure there would be no room for your thumbs when you're carrying it!" Wheat and chaff were separated in raddles. All wheat grown was exported by profiteering landlords. There are no Mills in Ireland. Thus, when the potato blight struck, millions starved. The dual use of trays, spoons, bones etc. for work and leisure is a common folk thread born of abject poverty. Best Bodhrans today are made by Mog.