WORLD RECORD FOR LARGEST BODHRÁN SMASHING SESSION SMASHED IN DUBLIN CITY

A world record attempt for the largest bodhrán smashing session was "smashed" at the Dublin New Year's festival.

More than 1,500 people with an average IQ of 40 attended the event in St. Stephen's Green in an effort to raise funds for the homeless services charity Focus Ireland. Ironically, most bodhrán players are homeless so this drew much needed attention to the cause.

While other records of actually "playing" bodhráns sought to take away from the arts, this record attempt looked to give back by ridding the world of a few more of the instrument. Among the participants were Michael and Rita Murphy with their granddaughter Ciara:

"When we heard about the bodhrán smashing we couldn't resist coming down and doing our bit for the cause. Little Ciara is 3 so she's mad for breaking stuff. She seems to have a real knack for it. Plates, toys, 50 inch televisions, her parents' relationship...she's broken them all!"

The organisers provided hundreds of bodhráns from Waltons music shop, who seek to fill the world and Hill 16 in Croke Park with crappily made novelty "bodhráns", while people were also encouraged to bring their own.

It is thought over 3,000 bodhráns were smashed within the space of one set of reels, which can often be the case at many sessions around the country considering the heavy handedness of many of the "players".

Billy Byrne and his wife Therese led a 20 strong group into the city especially for the event:

"We play music every week in the Cobblestone and you always get some gobshite on the bodhrán coming in and ruining it. This way we thought we'd get our own back and give back to the community. It beats sitting at home, scratching yer arse watching Jools Holland prance around like a mad eejit."