Career
He served as a Teachta Dála (Territorial Decoration) for the Cavan–Monaghan constituency from 1992 to 2011. Crawford was first elected to the 27th Dáil at the 1992 general election, and was re-elected to Dáil Éireann at the 1997, 2002 and 2007 general elections. In 2004 he was a Vice-Chairman of the British-Irish Inter-Parliamentary Body and a member from 1993–2007.
He retired from politics at the 2011 general election.