Cratur...

[stewamax]

In re-reading RS Surtees’ Handley Cross, I noticed a reference to poteen as the ‘cretur’. I then recalled that the same word (spelled ‘cratur’) was used by an Irish traveller in George Borrow’s Wild Wales.
DAK what its derivation is? Perhaps from an Irish Gaelic word for creature (in the old sense of ‘something created’)?

[MistyMeena]

A couple of online dictionaries say that it comes from "creature" and can mean person. They also say it means whiskey or whisky. Irish Gaelic as you say. Haven't seen the word before. Wonder if it evolved from creature to describe a person under the influence and then led to describing the drink or vice versa?