A one-of-a-kind ‘Crolly Doll’ teddy has returned home to the Crolly Distillery exactly 48 years to the hour after leaving the factory shop where the iconic toys were once made.
The giant panda, lovingly known as ‘Big Ted’ by his owners, was welcomed back to the Croithlí Distillery (formerly the famous Crolly Doll factory) by the very woman who sold him all those years ago — Roisin Boyle (née Devenney) — to local man Michael Boyle.
The nostalgic reunion, which included tea and an optional wee dram of Croithlí premium Irish whiskey, was sparked by a chance St Patrick’s Day encounter between Michael and Roisin at Bonnar’s Bar in Mullaghduff.
“I bought ‘Big Ted’ from the Crolly Doll factory — then owned by Soltoys — on April 26, 1977, as a birthday gift for my future wife Anita,” said Michael. “He cost two-thirds of my weekly wages at the time, so I paid for him in three or four instalments.”
An electrician known locally by the apt but unrelated nickname ‘Teddy’, Michael wondered how much is that teddy in the window when he would pass on his way to and from work every day.
“Big Ted was always in the window, looking out,” he recalled. “I thought he’d make a brilliant present. About a month before Anita’s 19th birthday, I went in to ask about him. Although he was dear, I placed a deposit.”
Michael picked up the bear the day before Anita’s birthday, and Big Ted has been part of their family ever since — travelling with them to different homes, sometimes stowed away in the attic, other times brought out for family occasions.
“He’s been in many’s the photograph — and now our grandchildren love him too. He’s still in great condition. As far as I know, he’s completely unique. Nobody I’ve spoken to from the factory remembers another one like him.”
Michael, Anita, Roisin, and Big Ted returned to the old factory — now a distillery, visitor centre, coffee shop, and bar — on Saturday for a special gathering where they reminisced, viewed the display of Crolly Dolls, and enjoyed the Croithlí Distillery Experience Tour.
From 1940 to 1978, the Crolly Distillery building was home to the iconic Crolly Doll factory, producing handcrafted dolls that became global sensations over several decades.
It was originally home to the famous Donegal Carpets factory, which produced carpets for the likes of Buckingham Palace, The White House, Dublin Castle, Windsor Castle, and many others. It later served as an embattled Royal Irish Constabulary barracks from the 1916 Rising until after the War of Independence and is even said to have its own resident soldier ghost.
l Crolly Distillery Experience tours run daily, seven days a week, from 11am-7pm. For more information or to book a tour online, visit the official website at thecrollydistillery.com.
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