Roots: The Extraordinary Crowleys

Derived from the Gaelic O’Cruadhlaoich, Crowley has been a common surname in Ireland since the 11th century. Formed from the words cruadh meaning hardy and loach meaning hero, Crowley exists in many variations of the original Gaelic spelling, among them Crowley, Crowly, O’Crowley, Croaley and Croawley. The first to bear this name was Diarmuid an Cruadhlaoch, a MacDermot of Moylurg in Connacht in the mid-1000s. Some two hundred years later, descendants of Cruadhlaoch migrated from Connacht to Munster, in the barony of Easy Carbery, north of the Bandon river.

Local Cork folklore tells of a marriage between a Cruadhlaoch and the reigning Coughlans in that region. The marriage would lead to an eventual ousting. Today, the name maintains its stronghold in County Cork, which is home to many a Crowley.

The Crowley clan has left their mark on a number of cultural foundations. Nicholas Joseph Crowley (1819-1857) was an Irish painter. His early career was in portrait painting, his portraits often shown at the Royal Hibernian Academy. Later in life he exhibited a unique talent for stained-glass window design before moving to London where he painted scenes from popular literature of the day.

Crowley brothers from Cork have taken on the world of drama in the last twenty years, leaving their mark on theater and film.  The elder of the two, Bob Crowley (1955-) has been recognized by the international theater world as one of the most prominent set and costume designers and directors. He has been the recipient of five Tony Awards for his design work on Aida, Carousel, The History Boys, Mary Poppins and The Coast of Utopia, not to mention five other nominations for his work. Bob is also a recipient of the prestigious Laurence Olivier Award for Best Set Design. His costume and set design can still be seen on Broadway and in the West End in Mary Poppins.

Not to be eclipsed by his older brother, John Crowley (1969-) is an award-winning film and theatre director. He was nominated for a Tony for directing Martin McDonagh’s The Pillowman but is perhaps better known for his film directorial debut Intermission starring the Irish heavyweights Colin Farrell, Cillian Murphy and Kelly MacDonald. In 2007, John directed the BAFTA-winning Boy A.

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Nster.com