Crolly
| Crolly Irish: Croithlí | |
| County Donegal | |
|---|---|
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| Location | |
| Grid reference: | B808187 |
| Location: | 55°1’9"N, 8°18’44"W |
| Data | |
| Local Government | |
| Dáil constituency: |
Donegal |
Crolly is a village in the Gaeltacht parishes of Gweedore (Gaoth Dobhair) and The Rosses (Na Rossan) in the west of County Donegal. The two parishes are separated by the Crolly River. It has one convenience shop/restaurant and petrol station and one public house, Páidí Óg's.
Name
The official name of the village is a Gaelic form, Croithlí. This is taken to come from the old Irish Craithlidh meaning shaking bog or quagmire].[1] Croichshlí, the less used spelling, means the hanging or crooked way, which most likely refers to how the road twists around the hills.
Features
The village sits at the base of several large hills, among them Án Grógan Mór and Cnoc na bhFaircheach. These hills are remote and sparsely populated. They extend deep into The Rosses.
The Crolly Stone (known in Irish as Cloch Mhór Léim An tSionnaigh, or the 'Large Rock Of The Foxes Leap'), an erratic left during the Ice Age, is reputed to be the largest boulder in Ireland.
The Crolly River, which flows from Loughanure to an estuary known locally as Gweedore (An Ghaoth), is known for its fishing.[2] The Crolly Waterfall is also nearby. Crolly Bridge also indicates the point where the two parishes meet.
Irish language
As the village is located on the border of The Rosses and Gweedore, both districts within the West Donegal Gaeltacht. The Irish language is to be heard and most residents are bilingual. During the summer students stay in the village to learn Irish.
Crolly Dolls
The Crolly Factory opened in 1939, and started making the renowned Crolly Dolls. The early dolls were handmade with a soft-filled body, a strong head and arms and legs. Their clothes were made from local fabrics and knitted vestments. Soft toys for boys, like teddy bears, were also made at the factory.
The original factory closed in the 1970s. This was a major blow to the local economy. However, in 1993, the popularity of the dolls was recognised and a smaller company was reopened. The Crolly Doll is sold all over the world.[3]
Folklore
Most of the townland's folklore refers to Cloch Mhór Léim An tSionnaigh. The boulder's origin is attributed to Fionn Mac Cumhaill (Finn MacCool). He is reputed to have thrown it at Diarmuid and Grainne during his pursuit of them. In some versions they are sleeping by the Crolly Waterfall and he misses, in others they are on top of Errigal and the Stone bounces off the tip of the mountain.
One story about the Stone suggests that when the most beautiful (or sometimes reddest-haired) girl in Ireland passes under its shadow, it will topple.
Today it is said that if one can successfully throw three stones on top of it, they are granted a wish.
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("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Crolly) |
References
- ↑ Croithlí / Crolly: Placenames Database of Ireland
- ↑ "River Crolly (Gweedore)". http://salmonireland.com/rivers/northern-rivers/river-crolly-gweedore/. Retrieved 2016-01-04.
- ↑ "Crolly Dolls". http://www.askaboutireland.ie/learning-zone/primary-students/looking-at-places/donegal/home-life-in-donegal/games-and-toys/crolly-dolls/.