Drums such as this have been knocking around for yonks in most cultures, ever since they were used for the hand-winnowing of grain. The dispute, or joshing, which often arrives with this topic lies the antiquity(?) of the name. Obviously, being in Irish, it sounds kind of ancient, but it seems that this kind of drum was called a tambourine(as it was in England, with or without jingles) till quite recently. Bodhran, both name and the common use of the instrument) came in with the folk revival/Chieftains etc, post 1950, and has since become extremely popular, especially when adorned with Celtic knotwork stuff.