Was Molly a real person?
Since the millenium celebrations of 1988 when this statue was triumphantly placed at the corner of Grafton and Suffolk Streets, Dubliners have been led to believe that Molly was a real live actual person who 'died of a fever, and no-one could save her' in June 1699. Also, as well as selling cockles and mussels, this amply-chested young person has been accused of earning a bit extra after dark by selling herself to the randy students of nearby Trinity College, which you can see behind the railings in the background of this picture. The Millenium itself was a hoax -- Dublin was founded in 841 and for various pretty good reasons the year 1841 did not present itself as a time for wild celebration -- so why shouldn't the story (the calumny, some say) of Molly Malone be the same?
If you are interested in how a legend arises, read this article.
