In the heart of Dublin, Ireland, on Fishamble Street, there existed an establishment owned by a woman named Dorcas (Darkey) Kelly. Little did people know, this ordinary woman would become the center of one of the city’s most chilling folk stories. Darkey Kelly was proclaimed to be a madam of a brothel, but was known by many simply as a popular local publican. However, around 1761, rumors ravaged the city of Dublin, painting Darkey in a more sinister light. She was accused of witchcraft and the chilling murders of an unknown number of men who were said to have visited her establishment. The most notorious suspect amongst her supposed victims was none other than Sheriff Simon Luttrell, a member of the infamous Hellfire Club of Dublin. According to the tale, Darkey supposedly became pregnant with Luttrell’s child, causing a dispute that spiraled into the allegations. Darkey Kelly was found guilty and suffered a horrifying fate as she was partially hanged and burned at the stake on Gallows Road, now known as Infirmary Road, in January 1761. She was the first person executed on a new gallows. The gruesomeness of her execution, coupled with the accusations of witchcraft and murder, cemented her place in Dublin’s folklore. The legend of Darkey Kelly continues to be told today, even spawning a popular Irish song ‘Molly Malone’, also known as ‘Cockles and Mussels’. A pub in her name stands in Dublin, reputedly haunted by her restless spirit. Whether one believes in the spectral presence of Darkey Kelly or not, her haunting tale surely reveals the darker side of Dublin’s history and forever cements her place in its folklore.