This story harks back to the cobblestoned streets of 17th century Dublin, an era of horse carriages and vibrant city life. The protagonist in our tale is a beautiful and charming girl named Molly Malone, known to the locals as the ‘Tart with a Cart’. Molly was a fishmonger by day and a lady of the evening after sundown. Her song would echo in the bustling marketplaces, singing ‘Cockles and Mussels, alive, alive, oh!’
Molly Malone was an industrious young woman, keeping herself busy with the family trade of selling fish, while trying to make ends meet. History tells us that she contracted a fever and died young, but her memory lived on.
The story of Molly was passed down through the generations and eventually became a popular song, aptly titled ‘Molly Malone’. This song was widely sung among the Irish and has become a beloved anthem of Dublin City. In 1988, a bronze statue was erected on Grafton Street, close to the original location of Trinity College, to commemorate Molly Malone.
Despite the persistence of the legend, no historical evidence has been found that Molly Malone was a real person. Some claim that the song is a metaphor about a young and thriving city that was stopped in its track by a deadly fever – perhaps a reference to the cholera epidemic that swept through Ireland in the 1830s.
To this day, Molly’s statue stands in Dublin, a symbol of the city’s rich folklore and history, the name Molly Malone continues to echo through the streets of Dublin, immortalised in bronze and in the hearts and minds of the people.