"Some tunes don't require the drum!"

No tunes "require" the drum.



And the problem with that old chestnut "It looks easier than it is" is that it's meaningless because it's pejorative. And the word "easier" is meaningless without comparison. Playing bodhran is a lot harder than buttering a slice of toast, but it's a heck of a lot easier than playing tunes. It's even easier than strumming. So, to be fair, on a balance of things to do, it is easy. You'd have to be a right numpty not to be able to master the thing in a couple of hours (provided you know the music of course).

And if you don't know the music, you've no business trying to learn it whilst banging a drum.