In Dublin’s fair city, the statue of Molly Malone stands to represent the history of Irish women. Her statue is a symbol of the city, her song and anthem, yet her existence remains a mystery. Was she a real person, or simply an idea of what life was like for women in Dublin fadó?
Created by Jeanne Rynhart, Molly’s statue was erected in 1988 on Grafton Street, and subsequently relocated to Suffolk Street in 2014.
Legend says Molly was a fishmonger who died of a fever at a young age, and now haunts the streets of Dublin she once roamed.
‘The Tart with the Cart’, Molly’s statue has become discoloured in recent years due to the persistent groping of her breasts, a supposed ‘tradition’ bound to give luck to those who touch her, for seven years, seven days, seven nights, seven hours and seven minutes.
As she is objectified now, it is likely her lived reality was similar. At night, Molly earned her wages as a prostitute, probably out of desperation at a time when opportunities for women in Ireland were few and far between. Molly’s dress nods to clothing worn by prostitutes in the 1800s.
Prostitution was illegal, women often changed their names to avoid arrest. In the 1860s and 70s, Grafton Street was a hive of activity for so-called ‘poor unfortunates’ or ‘women of loose character‘.Prostitution was rife where military garrisons existed. This growing problem coupled with the British presence in Ireland added further fuel to the fire in the quest for Irish independence.
The fever that took Molly’s life may have been what was then known as venereal disease. However, it is also possible that poor living conditions may have caused her death as outbreaks of typhus and cholera were rampant in the 1800s.
In 2018, a short story written by an American student, Michaela McMahon, brought Molly’s voice to life through Fáilte Ireland’s ‘Talking Statues’ campaign. From a plaque at her foot, anyone can now hear Molly’s story told through the voice of Maria Doyle Kennedy. That same year, the Marie Keating Foundation organised their ‘Take Notice’ campaign using Molly’s statue to question if anyone would notice a lump on the most famous breasts in Ireland, urging people to check their breasts.
More recently, a wave of protests organised by Empower The Voice Dublin and the #LeaveMollymAlone campaign is encouraging people to stop touching Molly’s breasts under the false premise of good luck. They fear that the way people treat Molly could trickle into real life if this behaviour is not condemned sooner rather than later.
Throughout our history, Molly Malone has represented the lives of Irish women. This is her legacy. From wheeling her barrow through streets broad and narrow to being immortalised among her fellow Dubliners, Molly Malone symbolises how Irish women have been treated over the years. There is no other statue of a Dublin woman yet she has been degraded to a pair of breasts. It looks like there is work still to be done.