Molly Malone Statue by sculptor Jeanne Rynhart, Suffolk St, Dublin 2, D02 KX03, Eire, Ireland
Molly Malone is the enigmatic heroine of the famous song of the same name, widely recognised as Dublin’s unofficial anthem. Immortalised in bronze during the 1988 Dublin Millennium celebrations, the Molly Malone statue stands in the heart of the city’s historic Georgian Quarter. Though regularly upheld as a traditional Irish ballad, it’s not known where the song originated or if Molly Malone ever existed According to the lyrics of the undeniably catchy tune – also known as Cockles and Mussels – Molly was a young and beautiful fishmonger who sold her yield from a cart on the streets of Dublin. The song’s final verse states that after she died of a fever, she began haunting the city. Although set in Ireland’s capital and beloved by many Dubliners, the song was originally published in the USA in 1876. While this version might be based on an older Irish folk ballad, cultural academics have argued that the melody and tragicomic lyrics are more akin to the music-hall style that was popular in Britain during the Victorian era. Indeed, in 1884, a version attributed to the Scottish composer James Yorkston was published in London. To complicate matters further, in 2010, an earlier mention of Molly Malone was found in an 18th-century book of songs called Apollo’s Medley, printed in England in 1790. This more risqué version describes Molly as living in Howth, a fishing village northeast of Dublin. It recounts the singer’s yearning to share her bed, contributing to widespread speculation that the song’s leading lady worked as both a street vendor and a prostitute. Created by the Irish sculptor Jeanne Rynhart, the statue depicts Molly in traditional but revealing 17th-century dress, hinting at her supposed job as a part-time prostitute and leading the bronze figure to be colloquially christened The Tart with the Cart.
Size: 5056px × 3648px
Location: Suffolk St, Dublin 2, D02 KX03, Eire, Ireland
Photo credit: © Tony Smith / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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