McCrudden was born to an Irish Traveller mother and non-Traveller father, and was an only child until age ten.
[1] McCrudden grew up in Cloontowart, Lisacul, and attended the village primary school, where she was the only Traveller child.
[2] As a young teenager, McCrudden struggled with depression, noting in 2023 that "when I was 14, there was a time I thought I wouldn’t make it to my 15th birthday".
She joined the youth panels of Minceir Whiden and the Irish Traveller Movement.
[4] Her Traveller-related activism has taken two fronts: working to improve conditions and political engagement within the community, and speaking out against discrimination of Travellers.