The Molly Malone statue, situated just outside the Dublin Tourist Office on Suffolk Street, is a popular stop with people visiting the city. Legend has it, touching the statue’s breasts could bring you seven years of good luck and thus many are eager to at least caress the woman’s bosom. However, all that careless handling isn’t doing the statue much good and the City Council is therefore thinking of taking measures to stop people from touching the piece of art.
Molly Malone is a popular figure in Dublin’s culture. She is the subject of a song, in which she is said to be a fishmonger who died at a young age due to a fever. Even though there is no evidence for the song to be based on any true facts or historical figures, Molly Malone has become entangled with Dublin and therefore, a bronze statue by Irish artist Jeanne Rynhart was unveiled in her honour during the 1988 Dublin Millennium celebrations. Since then, the rumour was born that the statue’s breasts would bring luck to anyone touching them. A practice that isn’t without consequences.
“Dublin City Council is aware of the reports concerning people touching the Molly Malone statute. It is not beneficial for any work of art of this kind to be handled and this may cause wear or damage. The Council is considering what measures might be effective in protecting the statute and recently carried out repairs due to vandalism. Molly Malone is an important figure in the Dublin’s folklore and this statue and all public art should always be treated with respect”, Ray Yeates, arts officer at Dublin City Council, said in a statement.
The City Council isn’t the only one to be asking people to stop touching Molly Malone’s breasts. Tilly Cripwell, student and busker, has started a campaign too – even though she has completely different reasons. “The majority of people will touch her boobs for good luck, that’s a misogynistic tradition. A lot of people clamour around her, kiss her on the cheek, kiss her boobs, it’s all inappropriate. It’s reducing her to this derision and not giving her the status of being a national treasure”, she told The Telegraph. She has therefore launched her own campaign, appropriately called ‘Leave Molly mAlone’.
