Don't touch the statue's chest! Molly Malone Monument to Be Guarded in Dublin (4 photos)

Dublin City Council has decided to assign guards to the statue of Molly Malone, a character from a famous folk song about a street seafood vendor, for a week. Two city employees will ensure that residents of the Irish capital and numerous tourists do not touch the monument and thus do not damage it.





The Molly Malone statue installed in the center of Dublin has become one of the city's landmarks. However, many people prefer not only to look at the statue, but also to touch its cleavage, as a result of which the corresponding places began to shine.

Dublin Council has also decided to restore the sculpture's original colour so that the effects of such behaviour by visitors are not visible.

In mid-March, Tilly Cripwell, one of the street musicians who performs near the statue, told reporters that she had always been concerned about this treatment of Molly Malone.



She believes it "sets a very bad example for children". "I am very upset by it," she told BBC reporters. "It is completely wrong that this girl was immortalised by a statue but now it is reduced to just her breasts."

"Dublin City Council does not want people touching any works of art, indoors or outdoors, to avoid damage and costly restoration," a council spokesman said.

"The low plinth and open space around the statue allow people to gather around it, and the monument is part of a guided tour," Dublin City Council also said.

The council is also considering other measures to protect the statue, including installing it on a higher plinth. However, such options are quite expensive, and fencing the monument "carries additional risks," the city said.





"The pilot safeguarding scheme will run for a week in May," the council wrote. "It will work with those interacting with the statue. They will be asked not to touch the statue or climb on the plinth. They will also be given reasons why they should not do so."

Tilly Crippwell, who has been calling for greater respect for the Molly Malone statue, is not too happy with the council's decision, saying the idea of ​​having guards is "short-sighted and rather short-term." But she considers the restoration of the monument "an important achievement."

The street musician hopes that over time people's behavior will change, "and if it doesn't, the statue may have to be put on a higher plinth."

She also called for a plaque to be installed near the moment explaining who Molly Malone is.



The Molly Malone statue appeared in Dublin 37 years ago. It is dedicated to the legendary resident of the Irish capital, who sold shells and mussels on the streets.

It is not known for certain whether this woman actually existed or is purely a folklore character. But the figure of Molly Malone is considered one of the symbols of the Dublin working class.

A famous Irish folk song was composed about her, telling the story of the daughter of a fishmonger who walked the streets with a barrel and sold seafood.

The lyrics of the song say that Molly Malone died of a fever, but then returned to the city streets as a ghost, wandering with the same barrel and advertising her goods.

Dublin residents often give monuments humorous rhyming names, and this statue was known for many years as "the tart with the cart".

This name alludes to the urban legend that Molly Malone allegedly sold seafood during the day and worked as a prostitute at night.