"I think the mistake that a lot of guitar and bodhran players make is to think that they are there to supply the rhythm in a session. In fact, the rhythm should come from the melody instruments and from the tunes themselves"

That's exactly what I meant by "drive not lead". I entirely agree - that's the big mistake that tyro bodhran players especially seem to make, because having the drum lay down the rhythm seems a natural sort of thing for people used to other types of music.

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I'd do that chord with just two fingers, - the first finger holding down the third string, and one of the others holding down to other two. But there's still the first string left out. And the same goes for the other way, where you make down an ordinary D, but hold down the sixth string at the fifth fret. (It is just about possible on some guitars and some hands to fret the sixth as required with the thumb, or a spare finger but it's not got a natural sort of feel to it, unlike that G.)

And, of course, there's no need to use all the stings - but sometimes it's fun to do that.