Maritime Madams: Molly Malone

Molly Malone is one of the most famous cultural figures in Ireland and in Dublin city, her legend stemming from the 19th-century ballad “Cockles and Mussels.” Described as a beautiful young fishwife, Molly is said to have roamed the cobbled streets of Dublin by day, crying “cockles and mussels, alive, alive-o!”

For Further Reading: 

• Tourists’ groping of Irish statue prompts ‘Leave Molly mAlone’ campaign
• The Legend of Molly Malone
• A Brief History of Dublin’s Mysterious Molly Malone.
• Oldest known version of ballad of Molly Malone finds new home

This month, we’re talking about Maritime Madams. Whether through scientific study, aquatic exploration, or legendary prowess, they harnessed the power of the bodies of waters that cover our earth. 

History classes can get a bad rap, and sometimes for good reason. When we were students, we couldn’t help wondering... where were all the ladies at? Why were so many incredible stories missing from the typical curriculum? Enter, Womanica. On this Wonder Media Network podcast we explore the lives of inspiring women in history you may not know about, but definitely should.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:04):
Hello from Wonder Media Network. I'm Jenny Kaplan and this
is Womanica. This month we're talking about maritime Madams. Whether
through scientific study, aquatic exploration, or legendary prowess, they harness
the power of the bodies of water that cover our earth.
In Dublin's Fair City, where the girls are so pretty,

(00:26):
I first set my eyes on sweet Molly Malone as
she wheeled her wheelbarrow through streets broad and narrow, crying
cockles and muscles Alive, Alive. Oh, or so goes the
tale of Today's Womaniquan, Dublin's very own Molly Malone. Molly
Malone has become one of the most famous figures of

(00:46):
Irish and Dublin city lore, but whether her story is
based on a real person is up for debate. Molly's
song is known as Cockles and Mussels in Dublin's Fair City,
or simply Molly Malone. The earliest version of the song
credited to a specific writers from eighteen eighty three, though
earlier unattributed versions date back to eighteen seventy one. In

(01:09):
the song that immortalized her story, Molly is described as
a beautiful fishmonger who spent her days on the streets
of Dublin, peddling her wares, cockles and mussels. She's also
referred to as a fishwife, a term typically used to
refer to the wives or daughters of fishermen who sold
seafood in city markets, though the word could also generally
refer to any woman selling fish. Historically, the term also

(01:33):
has a connotation of abrasiveness or vulgarity. Fishwives were thought
of as women who used foul language and who went
against societal expectations, and were seen as rude or even
as participating in so called promiscuous behavior. Threads of that
connotation can be seen in Molly's story, as she's popularly
been known as the tart with a cart. She's also

(01:55):
sometimes pictured as a sex worker. These details are as
hard to confirm as the rest of Molly's tale, but
Molly's story is not simply about a woman making a living.
It ends in tragedy, as our narrator sings, now she
died of a fever and no one could save her.
Was then that I lost Sweet Molly Malone. The song
continues to describe Molly as a ghost haunting the streets

(02:17):
of Dublin, yelling Cockles and Mussels forevermore. Dublin is a
city has embraced Molly's tale. Cockles and Muscles is often
referred to as an unofficial anthem of the city, and
Molly herself is honored in statue form on Suffolk Street.
The statue was erected in nineteen eighty eight to celebrate
Dublin's millennium. An unofficial tradition has arisen where many tourists

(02:41):
rub the breasts of Molly's statue for good luck. The
practice has been criticized by many in Dublin as sexist
and disrespectful, and many have called for the statue to
be protected. After outcries from Dubliner's the city council has
even brought in stewards to protect Molly's statue. When erecting
this staff the city claimed it had found records of

(03:02):
the real Molly, a woman named Mary Malone who died
in the late sixteen hundreds. While Molly was a nickname
for Mary, it remains difficult to confirm if this woman
is connected to the Malli of legend, especially considering there
are multiple Mary Malones on record in Dublin. In more
recent years. Another song referring to a Molly Malone was uncovered.

(03:23):
This song was originally published in seventeen ninety and refers
to a sweet Molly Malone, but does not mention her
being a fishmonger. In fact, the only connection beyond the
subject's name is that she lived near Dublin. This version
of the song more directly implies that Molly was involved
in sex work. Just as with the original song, it

(03:45):
stands to reason that both these Molly Malones are simply
figures of myth or legend. Even so, just as her
ghost haunts the streets and cockles and muscles, Molly persists
as an urban legend integral to Dublin City. All month,
we're talking about Maritime Madams. For more information, find us
on Facebook and Instagram at Wamanica Podcast special thanks to

(04:07):
Liz Kaplan, my favorite sister and co creator. As always,
will be taking a break for the weekend. Talk to
you on Monday.