Molly Malone Statue, Dublin — Visitor Guide & Things to Do Nearby

Unveiled during Dublin's 1988 Millennium celebrations, the bronze statue of Molly Malone depicts the legendary fishmonger from the famous ballad, pushing her wheelbarrow through the streets of the city. Created by artist Jeanne Rynhart, the statue was commissioned by Lord Mayor Ben Briscoe to celebrate the song that has become Dublin's unofficial anthem.

The reception was not entirely warm. The director of the Arts Council wrote to express "universal depreciation," calling the statue "entirely deficient in artistic point and merit." Dubliners, however, embraced it with characteristic humor, giving it nicknames like "The Tart with the Cart" and "The Trollop with the Scallops."

In July 2014, the statue was relocated from its original Grafton Street spot to Suffolk Street to make way for Luas tram construction. Before the move, a practice had developed of tourists rubbing the statue's chest for good luck, a custom that drew growing criticism. In recent years, flowerbeds have been placed around the base to discourage the practice.

Whether Molly Malone was a real person remains debated. The song itself dates to at least the 1880s, but no historical records confirm the existence of a fishmonger by that name. That has not stopped Dublin from claiming her as its own, declaring June 13 as Molly Malone Day.

Real or fictional, Molly has become inseparable from Dublin's identity. A Questo quest through the city center leads you past her statue with stories and challenges that connect the legend to the streets she supposedly walked.