| Country | ireland |
| Region | County Donegal |
| Established | 2020 |
| Owner | Privately owned (Croithlí Distillery, local founders) |
| Type | Irish single malt whiskey distillery |
| Number of stills | Vintage ex-Cognac Charentais pot stills (direct-fired, double distillation) |
| Visitor center | Yes |
| Status | Active |
| Phone | n/a |
Crolly Distillery is an Irish whisky distillery located in Croithlí (Crolly), County Donegal, Ireland, in the heart of the Donegal Gaeltacht. It was founded in 2020 and is currently owned and operated by a small group of local founders under the name Croithlí Distillery. It holds Donegal's first whiskey distilling licence in over 180 years, and is housed in the historic 1901 building that once produced the famous Crolly Dolls.
Crolly Distillery occupies a mill building constructed in 1901 by the Congested Districts Board, a structure that later housed the Donegal Carpets works before becoming home to the Crolly Doll factory from the 1940s until its closure in the 1970s. The building then stood vacant for decades until it was redeveloped as a whiskey distillery, with production beginning in November 2020. In taking on the site, the founders positioned the project as a revival of a much older regional distilling tradition, pointing to over 1,400 years of distillation heritage in the area, from early monastic distillers through to the hillside poitín makers of Donegal's more recent past. The distillery draws its process water from the River Crolly, fed by the nearby Derryveagh Mountains, and distils using vintage ex-Cognac Charentais pot stills imported from France, run on traditional direct-fire heating. Since opening, Crolly has developed into both a working distillery and a visitor attraction, with a purpose-built experience centre offering tours, tastings, a whiskey lounge, café/bar and shop, open seven days a week.
The core range is built around the Croithlí Single Malt Irish Whiskey (40% ABV), matured in first-fill ex-bourbon casks and finished in virgin oak, with tasting notes of caramel, vanilla, clove, ginger and toffee. It sits alongside a wood-finish series exploring different oak origins — Sessile (Irish oak), Quercus Alba (American oak) and Quercus Robur (European oak) — plus sherry-cask expressions, Oloroso Single Cask and PX Single Cask. The distillery also offers a Cask 2 Bottle single-cask programme and a Personalised Distillery Reserve for private commissions.
Crolly distillery is located at Drioglann Chroithlí, An Coillín Darach, Croithlí, Co. Dhún na nGall, F92 XHH5, Ireland.
Crolly distillery was founded in 2020.
Crolly distillery is owned by Privately owned (Croithlí Distillery, local founders).
Crolly distillery is from County Donegal, ireland.
Yes, Crolly distillery welcomes visitors.
You can buy Crolly whisky at Glenbotal.co.uk. We currently stock a selection with free UK delivery on orders over £99.
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About Glenbotal
The idea of Glenbotal came to us naturaly: as whisky lovers, we were always on the lookout for new experiences in the whisky world. That’s why we created Glenbotal and became our very own first customers. We buy unique and hard to find spirits from auctions, ballots, and private collections. Then, we share them with a small circle of friends and people who can appreciate a good dram.