Singing About Molly Malone

When you visit Dublin, you will find Molly Malone is the most talked about woman in the city. They mention her at the Irish Rock 'n’ Roll Museum and on Sandemans’ New Dublin free walking tour. They talk about her on the Dublin by Night Tour. There is even a statue of her on Suffolk Street in Dublin City, but who is Molly Malone?  Is she a factual person or just a fictional character in a song?

The popular Irish song, Molly Malone, also known as Cockles and Mussels. In the song, Molly walked the streets of Dublin, continuing the family trade of selling fish from her wheelbarrow and singing as she went. She died of a fever and it is said her ghost haunts the city to this day.

Origin stories about Molly or Mary Malone from the 17th century have been connected to England, Scotland, and the United States. While some accounts mention a Mary Malone baptized and buried at St. John’s Church in Dublin, many doubt her existence, turning Molly into an urban legend. According to folklore, rubbing her cleavage is believed to bring good luck. Dubliners have affectionately given her nicknames such as the tart with the cart, the dolly with the trolley, and the dish with the fish, in true Irish tradition.

Although there is no definitive proof that Molly Malone was a real person, a bronze statue was erected in her honor in 1988. This monument has since been voted as Ireland's most popular landmark.The mystery surrounding Molly Malone may never be solved, but the song dedicated to her is a classic that is performed in sports arenas, concert halls, and pubs across Ireland. It has also been featured in various movies and TV shows. Cockles & Mussels has become the unofficial anthem of Dublin and has been covered by renowned Irish artists like The Dubliners, Sinead O'Connor, and U2.

Lyrics to Molly Malone

In Dublin’s fair city,

Where the girls are so pretty,

I first set my eyes on sweet Molly Malone,

As she wheeled her wheelbarrow,

Through streets broad and narrow,

Crying, “Cockles and mussels, alive, alive, oh!”

Alive, alive, oh,

Alive, alive, oh,

Crying, “Cockles and mussels, alive, alive, oh”.

She was a fishmonger,

But sure 'twas no wonder,

So were her father and mother before,

And they all wheeled their barrows,

Through streets broad and narrow,

Crying, “Cockles and mussels, alive, alive, oh!"

(chorus)

She died of a fever,

And no one could save her,

And that was the end of sweet Molly Malone.

Now her ghost wheels her barrow,

Through streets broad and narrow,

Crying, “Cockles and mussels, alive, alive, oh!”

(chorus)x2