MOLLY MALONE STORY

MOLLY MALONE STORY

This blog is dedicated to Kenneth Weene, Author for he was my guest blogger last week and his story touched many hearts. It was this song he wanted to share and his professor discouraged him and squashed his dream to sing! So here it is Ken-Your song and a new version to the myth of Molly Malone, a version I am sure you have never read before!

Breaking all the rules of sharing from my book so I will reserve some of it for yoy to read yourself in my book. Let’s hear it for Kenneth Weene-TAAADAAAA!!

WORDS TO MOLLY MALONE

“In Dublin’s fair city,

                                                                                        Where girls are so pretty,

I first set my eyes on sweet Molly Malone,

                                                                            As she pushed her wheelbarrow

    Through streets broad and narrow,

                                                          Crying, ‘Cockles and mussels, alive, alive, oh!’

Refrain  Alive, alive, oh!  alive, alive, oh!  Crying, ‘Cockles and mussels, alive, alive, oh!'”

                                                            ~ from Molly Malone

Dublin changed the words to suit themselves by adding :

“In Dublin’s fair city

where the girls are so pretty”

and continues the rest of the verse as above.

Could Molly Malone have been a student at the famous Trinity College in Dublin or walk the street in front of this prestigious location, a fishmonger like her parents, lady of the night or just a sweet young hard working girl?

Human interest stories are simply difficult to leave alone especially in foreign countries where they are celebrated and statues are erected!  I just could not leave this one alone.

Trinity College
photography courtesy of College

Who is Molly Malone?  Was she genuine or a legend?  The statue that sits on the corner of Grafton Street and the stories you read certainly make you want to believe that this reportedly beautiful young girl was as real as you and I.  She was reported to be sweet bringing grace and sunshine to lives she touched and gladness in the hearts of all that knew her.

A small frail young girl with long light red hair selling her fish as she was a fishmonger like her parents but had a smile to light her way! Maybe a student? Not likely but who knows!  Yet some said she lead two lives-one by day and one by night.  Was that jealousy or fact?  You decide for yourself.

As I think back to looking at the statue and how she appeared I can almost hear her sing out those famous words, “Cockles and mussels, alive alive oh!” Perhaps Ken was singing along side of her in another time with the words so well known today.

“Molly Malone,” “Cockles and Mussels” or “In Dublin’s Fair City” are all known as a popular song becoming the unofficial anthem of Dublin!  So myth or not, it is clear that her reputation or legend is adored by most of the area she is known.

The statue of Molly Malone was erected in 1987 and dedicated in 1988 by the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Alderman Ben Briscoe during the celebration of the Millennium and June 13th became known as Molly Malone Day-an official celebrated holiday.  Fact or Fiction?

Molly Malone carries many tales and who’s to know which is true-Chaste or Lady of the evening.  But most will agree the she is one of the most famous people in the history of Dublin.  Fact or Fiction?

If you have not seen this statue, pay close attention to details.  She is very endowed and her cleavage shown leaves nothing to the imagination and this does not seem to embarrass anyone because everyone loved this hard working young woman!

It is said that there was one man that truly longed for Molly Malone, never having told her of his devotion and his life scattered by this love.

His named was Pierre (perhaps fictional as Molly was thought to be by some) and at the time a street bum singing for tips tossed into his old opera hat. He too carries many mytgs that keep you wondering-stories of grandeur from riches to being so poor he too was a street person.

It  was said that he use to watch for her to pass by selling her fish, tipping his hat and singing love songs just for her.  This went on for some time when he suddenly felt a strong urge to confess his love for Molly but she did not show up one fateful day. Panicked, he began a search for her, worried something had happened to his true love and knowing he had not told her how he had yearned for her love so long.

Finally he found his sweet Molly Malone, but it was too late. Molly had become gravely ill, passing just moments before he arrived throwing him into the depths of depression. He had lost his only love, he now destroyed by the guilt she never had the joy of knowing of his love.

– Fact or Fiction?

Pierre nearly losing his mind with grief seeing her face and hearing her voice one moment and disappearing again, imagining her voice singing out “Cockles and Muscles, alive alive oh!”

decided to set sail for England finding passage on a tourist vessel and ended up in Belgium instead.  There he took a job working at a restaurant washing dishes and other odd jobs.

It is also said that he became a man of many talents building himself a large Tudor home and a restaurant chain of fine dining even venturing into the Riviera.  He never sang again after Molly died until one night while serving a dinner as he did from time to time, he believed he heard her voice cry out as she ordered a house special (a fish platter) “Cockle and Muscles alive alive oh!”  Seeing his precious Molly Malone gave him the voice he had lost for so many years-Pierre sang her the romantic song from years gone by!  Now, is this Fact or Fiction?

The sadness about her death was reported to have an effect on the opera houses all over Europe and they paid their respect by performing operas for one month nonstop as a charity for the poor in her honor.  Again,  Fact or Fiction?

Now, being a romantic at heart, I would like to believe she was a sweet young girl that was unfortunate at being poor, not being able to get medical help when she was ill and passed away with this fever caused from working too hard when she should have been resting.  That Pierre did love her with an innocent heart and the two of them are now together celebrating life as it should have been then.

Now, that was my version on the tale and who really knows, the truth will probably never be known but as long as this sexy statue exists, she still entertains the tourist and men alike.  She is probably photographed more than any other woman in history.  Take your photos of her while in Dublin or pose with her for your memories and your own tales!

It seems that she is known in many parts of the world all with a different version of this tale and with their own version of the sonnet “Cockles and Muscles alive alive oh!”

Wouldn’t you like to know or do you know someone like Molly Malone?

What do you think?  Fact or Fiction?

A leading historian has now suggested that the song about a beautiful fishmonger may have been written in Scotland for comic purposes. So who is to know which tale throughout the years is fact or fiction?

Are you a romanist that has your own version? I do hope you have enjoyed mine!

I do hope you enjoyed my blog today.  Extraordinary Dreams of an Ireland Traveler

can be found both as an E-Book at:

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Or

Paperback version (with over 160 color images) on my web site and offers exclusive to my readers for hundreds of dollars:

     Thank you Again!

http://www.ExtraordinaryIreland.com

Rosemary “Mamie” Adkins

  Extraordinary Dreams

             of an

    Ireland Traveler