Molly Malone statue unstable due to 'abuse on daily basis'

Ken Foxe

An inspection of Dublin’s famous statue of Molly Malone discovered it was not just her bosom that was in distress but that the entire sculpture was unstable with multiple broken fittings.

A report by expert metalworkers explained how two of the pins that held Molly in place were completely destroyed.

This had happened “from the abuse she [was] receiving on a daily basis” according to records released by Dublin City Council.

The inspection showed the statue on Grafton Street was now held in place only by two fixing pins underneath the wheels of her cart.

An email said: “The two fixing pins below her body have come loose or have cracked.

“As a matter of urgency, these pins need to be rewelded or replaced but to do that, the stone facing around the plinth will have to be removed so we can get at the pins.”

The inspection took place after Dublin City Council decided Molly Malone needed a revamp because of ongoing damage to her bosom area.

The statue’s ample cleavage was often groped by visitors snapping photographs and had led to noticeable discolouration of the bronze on her chest.

Bushy Park Ironworks, one of the country’s leading conservation specialists, were first contacted in January by Dublin City Council.

An email from the council’s public art officer said they were looking for a quote on how much restoration of the statue would be.

The message said: “As you are aware, the statue has been subject to damage in its patination several times over the years resulting from repeated touching of the statue.

“We are working on a more long-term solution to the issue, but I feel that it would help the visibility of the statue if the patination of the bronze could be restored on the statue’s chest area.”

The ironworks said the metalwork would be relatively straightforward with barriers erected, a thorough cleaning, the restoration of “the top edge of her dress” and then waxing.

However, they said the bigger concern was the overall stability of the statue.

In follow-up emails, Dublin City Council said they wanted to go ahead with the work and were hoping it could be “expedited".

They asked how long fencing would be needed, whether Molly Malone needed to be covered over and the likely duration of the project.

An email from the council said: “We are also considering posting a security guard on the statue during renovation work, so it would be good to know how long the whole process would take.”

In response, the ironworks said the overall project would take between one and two weeks depending on what was found after the granite plinth was removed.

They said that dust sheets would be enough to protect the statue while works were ongoing, and that the restoration of Molly’s bust would only take a few days depending on weather.

Asked about the project, Dublin City Council said they hoped the revamp of Molly Malone would be completed by the end of May.
However, they would not disclose costs involved saying these had not yet been “fully established.”