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"Molly Malone" (also known as "Cockles and Mussels" or "In Dublin's Fair City") is a traditional song set in
Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...
, Ireland, which has become its unofficial
anthem An anthem is a musical composition of celebration, usually used as a symbol for a distinct group, particularly the national anthems of countries. Originally, and in music theory and religious contexts, it also refers more particularly to short ...
. A statue representing Molly Malone was unveiled on
Grafton Street Grafton Street () is one of the two principal shopping streets in Dublin city centre (the other being Henry Street). It runs from St Stephen's Green in the south (at the highest point of the street) to College Green in the north (the lowest p ...
by then
Lord Mayor of Dublin The Lord Mayor of Dublin ( ga, Ardmhéara Bhaile Átha Cliath) is the honorary title of the chairperson ( ga, Cathaoirleach, links=no ) of Dublin City Council which is the local government body for the city of Dublin, the capital of Ireland. The ...
,
Ben Briscoe Ben Briscoe (born 11 March 1934) is an Irish former Fianna Fáil politician. He was a Teachta Dála (TD) for 37 years, representing constituencies in the south Dublin city area. Member of Dáil Éireann Briscoe was first elected to Dáil Éire ...
, during the 1988 Dublin Millennium celebrations, when 13 June was declared to be Molly Malone Day. In July 2014, the statue was relocated to Suffolk Street, in front of the Tourist Information Office, to make way for
Luas Luas (pronounced ; Irish for "speed") is a tram/ light rail system in Dublin, Ireland. There are two main lines: the Green Line, which began operating on 30 June 2004, and the Red Line which opened on 26 September 2004. Since then, both lin ...
track-laying work at the old location.


History

The song tells the fictional tale of a
fishwife A fishwife, fish-fag or fishlass is a woman who sells fish. Some wives and daughters of fishermen were notoriously loud and foul-mouthed, as noted in the expression, ''To swear like a fishwife'' as they sold fish in the marketplace. One reaso ...
who plied her trade on the streets of Dublin and died young, of a fever. In the late 20th century, a legend grew up that there was a historical Molly, who lived in the 17th century. She is typically represented as a
hawker Hawker or Hawkers may refer to: Places * Hawker, Australian Capital Territory, a suburb of Canberra * Hawker, South Australia, a town * Division of Hawker, an Electoral Division in South Australia * Hawker Island, Princess Elizabeth Land, Antarct ...
by day and a part-time prostitute by night.Siobhán Marie Kilfeather, ''Dublin: a cultural history'', Oxford University Press US, 2005, p. 6. In contrast, she has also been portrayed as one of the few
chaste Chaste refers to practicing chastity. Chaste may also refer to: * Aymar Chaste (1514–1603), Catholic French admiral * Chaste (Marvel Comics), a fictional Marvel Comics martial arts enclave * Chaste (canton) - see List of townships in Quebec T ...
female street hawkers of her day. There is no evidence that the song is based on a real woman in the 17th century or any other time. The name " Molly" originated as a familiar version of the names
Mary Mary may refer to: People * Mary (name), a feminine given name (includes a list of people with the name) Religious contexts * New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below * Mary, mother of Jesus, also calle ...
and
Margaret Margaret is a female first name, derived via French () and Latin () from grc, μαργαρίτης () meaning "pearl". The Greek is borrowed from Persian. Margaret has been an English name since the 11th century, and remained popular througho ...
. Many such "Molly" Malones were born in Dublin over the centuries, but no evidence connects any of them to the events in the song. Nevertheless, the Dublin Millennium Commission in 1988 endorsed claims made for a Mary Malone who died on 13 June 1699, and proclaimed 13 June to be "Molly Malone Day". The song is not recorded earlier than 1876, when it was published in
Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
,
Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...
. Its placement in the section of the book titled "Songs from English and German Universities" suggests an Irish origin. It was also published by Francis Brothers and Day in London in 1884 as a work written and composed by James Yorkston, of Edinburgh, with music arranged by Edmund Forman. The London edition states that it was reprinted by permission of Kohler and Son of Edinburgh, implying that the first edition was in Scotland, but no copies of it have been found. According to Siobhán Marie Kilfeather, the song is from the
music hall Music hall is a type of British theatrical entertainment that was popular from the early Victorian era, beginning around 1850. It faded away after 1918 as the halls rebranded their entertainment as variety. Perceptions of a distinction in Bri ...
style of the period, and one cannot wholly dismiss the possibility that it is "based on an older folk song", but "neither melody nor words bear any relationship to the Irish tradition of street ballads". She calls the story of the historical Molly "nonsense". The song is in a familiar tragicomic mode that was then popular and was probably influenced by earlier songs with a similar theme, such as Percy Montrose's "
Oh My Darling, Clementine "Oh My Darling, Clementine" is a traditional American western folk ballad in trochaic meter usually credited to Percy Montross (or Montrose) (1884), although it is sometimes credited to Barker Bradford. Members of the Western Writers of Americ ...
", which was written in about 1880. A variant, "Cockles and Mussels", with some different lyrics, appeared in ''Students' Songs: Comprising the Newest and Most Popular College Songs As Now Sung at Harvard, Yale, Columbia, ... Union, Etc'' in 1884. A copy of ''Apollo's Medley'', dating from around 1790, published in
Doncaster Doncaster (, ) is a city in South Yorkshire, England. Named after the River Don, it is the administrative centre of the larger City of Doncaster. It is the second largest settlement in South Yorkshire after Sheffield. Doncaster is situated in ...
and rediscovered in 2010, contains a song referring to "Sweet Molly Malone" on page 78 that ends with the line "Och! I'll roar and I'll groan, My sweet Molly Malone, Till I'm bone of your bone, And asleep in your bed." Other than this name and the fact that she lives in
Howth Howth ( ; ; non, Hǫfuð) is an affluent peninsular village and outer suburb of Dublin, Ireland. The district as a whole occupies the greater part of the peninsula of Howth Head, which forms the northern boundary of Dublin Bay, and includes ...
, near Dublin, this song bears no resemblance to ''Molly Malone''. The song was later reprinted in the collection ''The Shamrock: A Collection of Irish Songs'' (1831) and was published in ''The Edinburgh Literary Journal'' that year with the title "Molly Malone". Some elements of the song appear in several earlier songs. A character named Molly Malone appears in at least two other songs. The song "Widow Malone," published as early as 1809, refers to the title character alternately as "Molly Malone," "Mary Malone" and "sweet mistress Malone". Another song, "Meet Me Miss Molly Malone", was published as early as 1836 in Glasgow, and in America in 1840. The song "Pat Corney's Account of Himself", published as early as 1826, begins, "Now it's show me that city where the girls are so pretty" and ends, "Crying oysters, and cockles, and Mussels for sale." During the 19th century, the expression "Dublin's fair city" was used regularly in reference to Dublin, and the phrase "alive, alive O" is known to have been shouted by street vendors selling oysters, mussels, fish and eels.


Lyrics

: In Dublin's fair city, : Where the girls are so pretty, : I first set my eyes on sweet Molly Malone, : As she wheeled her wheel-barrow, : Through streets broad and narrow, : Crying, " Cockles and
mussel Mussel () is the common name used for members of several families of bivalve molluscs, from saltwater and Freshwater bivalve, freshwater habitats. These groups have in common a shell whose outline is elongated and asymmetrical compared with other ...
s, 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 : For so were her father and mother before : And they each wheel'd their barrow : 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. : But her ghost wheels her barrow, : Through streets broad and narrow, : Crying, "Cockles and mussels, alive, alive, oh!" : ''(chorus) ×2''


"Cockles and Mussels" in ''Students' Songs'' (1884)

: In Dublin City where the girls they are so pretty, : 'Twas there I first met with sweet Molly Malone; : She drove a wheel-barrow, thro' streets broad and narrow, : Crying "Cockles and mussels, alive, all alive!" :''Alive, alive-o! Alive, alive-o!'' :''Crying "Cockles and mussels, alive, all alive!"'' :She was a fish-monger and that was the wonder, :Her father and mother were fishmongers too; :They drove wheelbarrows thro' streets broad and narrow, : Crying "Cockles and mussels, alive, all alive!" :''(chorus)'' :She died of the faver, and nothing could save her, :And that was the end of sweet Molly Malone; :But her ghost drives a barrow thro' streets broad and narrow, : Crying "Cockles and mussels, alive, all alive!" :''(chorus)''


"Molly Malone" in ''Apollo's Medley'' (1791)

: By the big Hill of Howth, : That's a bit of an Oath, : That to swear by I'm
loth Loth may refer to: People Given name * King Lot, figure in Arthurian legend *Loth Schout (1600–1655), Dutch brewer Surname *Agnete Loth (1921–1990), editor and translator of Old Icelandic texts *Andreas Loth (born 1972), German ice hockey pl ...
, : To the heart of a stone, : But be poison my drink, : If I sleep snore or wink, : Once forgetting to think, : Of your lying alone, : ''Och it's how I'm in love,'' : ''Like a beautiful dove,'' : ''That sits cooing above,'' : ''In the boughs of a tree;'' : ''It's myself I'll soon smother,'' : ''In something or other,'' : ''Unless I can bother,'' : ''Your heart to love me,'' : ''Sweet Molly, Sweet Molly Malone,'' : ''Sweet Molly, Sweet Molly Malone'' : I can see if you smile, : Though I'm off half a mile, : For my eyes all the while, : Keep along with my head, : And my head on must know, : When from Molly I go, : Takes his leave with a bow, : And remains in my stead, : ''(chorus)'' : Like a bird I could sing, : In the month of the
spring Spring(s) may refer to: Common uses * Spring (season), a season of the year * Spring (device), a mechanical device that stores energy * Spring (hydrology), a natural source of water * Spring (mathematics), a geometric surface in the shape of a ...
, : But it's now no such thing, : I'm quite bothered and dead, : Och I'll roar and I'll groan, : My sweet Molly Malone, : Till I'm bone of your bone, Genesis_2:23''.html"_;"title="Genesis_2_(Bible).html"_;"title="'a_reference_to_Genesis_2_(Bible)">Genesis_2:23''">Genesis_2_(Bible).html"_;"title="'a_reference_to_Genesis_2_(Bible)">Genesis_2:23'':_And_asleep_in_your_bed :_''(chorus)''


_Statue

Molly_Malone_is_commemorated_in_a_statue_commissioned_by_Jurys_Inn.html" ;"title="Genesis_2_(Bible)">Genesis_2:23''.html" ;"title="Genesis_2_(Bible).html" ;"title="'a reference to Genesis 2 (Bible)">Genesis 2:23''">Genesis_2_(Bible).html" ;"title="'a reference to Genesis 2 (Bible)">Genesis 2:23'': And asleep in your bed : ''(chorus)''


Statue

Molly Malone is commemorated in a statue commissioned by Jurys Inn">Jurys Hotel Group and designed by Jeanne Rynhart, erected to celebrate the Dublin Millennium, city's first millennium in 1988. It was originally intended that Rynhart would be commissioned to create a further 12 street sculptures, including those of famous literary figures such as
W. B. Yeats William Butler Yeats (13 June 186528 January 1939) was an Irish poet, dramatist, writer and one of the foremost figures of 20th-century literature. He was a driving force behind the Irish Literary Revival and became a pillar of the Irish liter ...
and
Oscar Wilde Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 185430 November 1900) was an Irish poet and playwright. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of the most popular playwrights in London in the early 1890s. He is ...
, with the intention of creating a sculpture trail in the city. The unveiling of the statue was not met with universal praise however, with Adrian Munnelly, director of the Arts Council in his capacity as registrar of
Aosdána Aosdána ( , ; from , 'people of the arts') is an Irish association of artists. It was created in 1981 on the initiative of a group of writers with support from the country's Arts Council. Membership, which is by invitation from current member ...
, writing to
Bord Fáilte Cucerdea ( hu, Oláhkocsárd, Hungarian pronunciation: ) is a commune in Mureș County, Transylvania, Romania. It is composed of three villages: Bord (''Bord''), Cucerdea, and Șeulia de Mureș (''Oláhsályi''). The commune is located in the sout ...
(the National Tourism Development) at the time to express his members' "universal depreciation" noting the statue was "entirely deficient in artistic point and merit".
Lord Mayor of Dublin The Lord Mayor of Dublin ( ga, Ardmhéara Bhaile Átha Cliath) is the honorary title of the chairperson ( ga, Cathaoirleach, links=no ) of Dublin City Council which is the local government body for the city of Dublin, the capital of Ireland. The ...
Ben Briscoe defended the statue however, saying "the statue was regarded with great warmth and affection by the city of Dublin". The statue was originally placed at the bottom of
Grafton Street Grafton Street () is one of the two principal shopping streets in Dublin city centre (the other being Henry Street). It runs from St Stephen's Green in the south (at the highest point of the street) to College Green in the north (the lowest p ...
, and as with other public art in the city, was christened
colloquially Colloquialism (), also called colloquial language, everyday language or general parlance, is the style (sociolinguistics), linguistic style used for casual (informal) communication. It is the most common functional style of speech, the idiom norm ...
as "The Tart with the Cart". The statue portrays Molly as a busty young woman in 17th-century dress, which would have consisted of a full-length
chemise A chemise or shift is a classic smock, or a modern type of women's undergarment or dress. Historically, a chemise was a simple garment worn next to the skin to protect clothing from sweat and body oils, the precursor to the modern shirts commonl ...
,
overskirt An overskirt is a type of women's short skirt which is draped over another garment, such as a skirt, breeches, or trousers. Although peplum is often used as another term for overskirt, it should not be confused with the ''peplos'' or "peplum dress ...
and
basque Basque may refer to: * Basques, an ethnic group of Spain and France * Basque language, their language Places * Basque Country (greater region), the homeland of the Basque people with parts in both Spain and France * Basque Country (autonomous co ...
of
wool Wool is the textile fibre obtained from sheep and other mammals, especially goats, rabbits, and camelids. The term may also refer to inorganic materials, such as mineral wool and glass wool, that have properties similar to animal wool. As ...
. Her low-cut dress and large breasts were justified on the grounds that as "women breastfed publicly in Molly's time, breasts were popped out all over the place." The traditional, but revealing, costume in which she was sculpted by Rynhart may have also nodded to her supposed job as a part-time prostitute. According to ''The Irish Times'' "sometime before 2014", tourists began rubbing the statue's bosom area "for luck", with some visitors getting a photo of themselves doing so. In late April 2014, the statue was removed from its original location at the base of Grafton Street and kept in storage to make way for the new
Luas Luas (pronounced ; Irish for "speed") is a tram/ light rail system in Dublin, Ireland. There are two main lines: the Green Line, which began operating on 30 June 2004, and the Red Line which opened on 26 September 2004. Since then, both lin ...
tracks which skirted around Trinity College. During the removal of the statue, some cracks were revealed which required restoration work. This was carried out by Bushy Park Ironworks in the city. Speaking to ''The Irish Times'', ironworks employee Edward Bisgood noted how the company was "carrying out some
patination Patina ( or ) is a thin layer that variously forms on the surface of copper, brass, bronze and similar metals and metal alloys (tarnish produced by oxidation or other chemical processes) or certain stones and wooden furniture (sheen produced ...
to bring her back to her original dark brown colour, but (was) leaving the areas where she's been rubbed over the years, so she will look as people remember her, but she'll be a lot stronger". In July 2014, the statue was placed in its new location outside the Dublin Tourist Office (formerly St. Andrew's Church) on Suffolk Street, a short distance from the original site. Due to its notability and location, the statue is also a common starting and finishing point for some of Dublin city's walking tours.


In popular culture

In the movie ''
A Clockwork Orange ''A Clockwork Orange'' may refer to: * ''A Clockwork Orange'' (novel), a 1962 novel by Anthony Burgess ** ''A Clockwork Orange'' (film), a 1971 film directed by Stanley Kubrick based on the novel *** ''A Clockwork Orange'' (soundtrack), the film ...
'' (1971), a drunk tramp sings "Molly Malone" in a tunnel before being assaulted by the Alex and his gang, whom Alex refers to as his "droogs". The soap opera ''
Fair City ''Fair City'' is an Irish television soap opera which has been broadcast on RTÉ One since 1989. Produced by the public service broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ), it first aired on Monday, 18 September 1989. It has won several award ...
'' derives its title from the opening line of the song: "In Dublin's fair city, where the girls are so pretty..."


Recordings

Versions of the song, ''Molly Malone'', have been recorded by many artists, including
The Dubliners The Dubliners were an Folk music of Ireland, Irish folk band founded in Dublin in 1962 as The Ronnie Drew Ballad Group, named after its founding member; they subsequently renamed themselves The Dubliners. The line-up saw many changes in personn ...
,
Heino Heinz Georg Kramm (born 13 December 1938), known professionally as Heino, is a German singer of Schlager and traditional Volksmusik. Having sold a total of over 50 million records, he is one of the most successful German musicians of all time ...
,
Danny Kaye Danny Kaye (born David Daniel Kaminsky; yi, דוד־דניאל קאַמינסקי; January 18, 1911 – March 3, 1987) was an American actor, comedian, singer and dancer. His performances featured physical comedy, idiosyncratic pantomimes, and ...
,
Pete Seeger Peter Seeger (May 3, 1919 – January 27, 2014) was an American folk singer and social activist. A fixture on nationwide radio in the 1940s, Seeger also had a string of hit records during the early 1950s as a member of the Weavers, notably ...
,
Sinéad O'Connor Shuhada Sadaqat (born Sinéad Marie Bernadette O'Connor on 8 December 1966; ) is an Irish singer-songwriter. Her debut album, ''The Lion and the Cobra'', was released in 1987 and charted internationally. Her second album, ''I Do Not Want What ...
, Johnny Logan, and U2.
Bing Crosby Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, musician and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwide. He was a ...
and
Rosemary Clooney Rosemary Clooney (May 23, 1928 – June 29, 2002) was an American singer and actress. She came to prominence in the early 1950s with the song "Come On-a My House", which was followed by other pop numbers such as " Botch-a-Me", " Mambo Italiano", ...
recorded an updated version of the song titled "The Daughter of Molly Malone" on their album ''
That Travelin' Two-Beat ''That Travelin' Two-Beat'' is a duet album by Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney recorded in 1964 and released on Capitol Records in 1965. With its world tour theme, it was a revisitation of the concept explored in the duo's acclaimed RCA V ...
'' (1965). Crosby also sang the song on the album '' A Little Bit of Irish'' recorded in 1966. A version of the song was released as a
charity single A charity record or charity single is a song released by musicians with most or all proceeds raised going to a dedicated foundation or charity. George Harrison's " Bangla Desh" single in 1971 is commonly acknowledged as the first ever purpose-mad ...
in 1998, to mark the
Dublin Millennium In the 1980s and 1990s, a number of areas in the Republic of Ireland held year-long festivals commemorating historic anniversaries. The country was in an economic depression at the time and these were excuses for some civic pride; the anniversari ...
, and reached number 4 in the
Irish singles chart The Irish Singles Chart is the Republic of Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association (IRMA) and compiled on their behalf by the Official Charts Company. Chart rankings are bas ...
. Operatic baritone
Bryn Terfel Sir Bryn Terfel Jones, (; born 9 November 1965) (known professionally as Bryn Terfel) is a Welsh bass-baritone opera and concert singer. Terfel was initially associated with the roles of Mozart, particularly '' Figaro'', ''Leporello'' and ''D ...
has recorded a highly operatic version of the tune, sung in a somewhat upbeat fashion. Versions of the song have also been recorded in Russian (as ''Душа моя, Молли'' or "Molly, my soul"), French, and in Dutch (as "kokkels en mossels").


See also

* List of public art in Dublin *
Prostitution in the Republic of Ireland Prostitution in Ireland is legal. However, since March 2017, it has been an offence to buy sex. Third party involvement (such as operating brothels, and other forms of pimping) is also illegal. Since the law that criminalises clients came into ...
* Statues in Dublin *
Street cries Street cries are the short lyrical calls of merchants hawking their products and services in open-air markets. The custom of hawking led many vendors to create custom melodic phrases to attract attention. At a time when a large proportion of the p ...
*
Roud Folk Song Index The Roud Folk Song Index is a database of around 250,000 references to nearly 25,000 songs collected from oral tradition in the English language from all over the world. It is compiled by Steve Roud (born 1949), a former librarian in the London ...
16932


References


External links

*
Lyrics with chords
{{Authority control Ballads Culture in Dublin (city) Irish songs Music in Dublin (city) Reading F.C. Street cries Scottish songs Songs about prostitutes