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 Suffolk Street was now held in place only by two fixing pins underneath the wheels of her cart.
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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 the council decided Molly Malone, designed by sculptor Jeanne Rynhart, needed a revamp because of ongoing damage to her bosom area.
The statue’s cleavage was often groped by visitors snapping photographs and had led to noticeable discolouration of the bronze on her chest.
On Monday, two male stewards were on patrol at the famous landmark.
Many tourists were milling around and most of the people we spoke to said there is no need for people to touch the statue, noting how the practice had discoloured her bust over time.
The Irish Times saw several people grab Molly’s breasts – despite being asked not to by the stewards.
DJ and Tabitha Stevenson, who are visiting Ireland from Georgia in the United States to mark their 20th anniversary, questioned why people keep touching Molly’s bust.
“I noticed that her boobs were obviously discoloured from touching, and I kept seeing people touch her boobs. So I went to ask the [steward] about it, and he said it’s an old rumour that it’s good luck,” Mr Stevenson said.
A female tour guide, who did not wish to be named, had a different view. She said the presence of stewards is “ridiculous” and unnecessary.
“It’s just fun for people, and it’s not destroying the lovely statue. It’s not serious.”
Marilyn Todd, who is visiting Ireland from Chicago, said she didn’t have any desire to touch the statue, but understands why some people do.
“I don’t think there’s anything wrong with it, if they don’t get destructive.
“I understand why they don’t want us to touch it. But, at the same time, you kind of come to Dublin to touch it,” Ms Todd said.
Flavia Bonelli and Diego Castañares, who are from Buenos Aires in Argentina but currently living in Spain, said the presence of stewards is a good idea. The couple weren’t aware of the practice of touching Molly’s breasts for good luck until today.
However, they may have come up with a workaround. Ms Bonelli said people could pretend to grab the breasts from a certain angle, without actually touching them, like the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy.
The detail regarding an inspection of the statue emerged in email correspondence between the council and a conservation specialist organisation.
Bushy Park Ironworks, one of the country’s leading conservation specialists, were first contacted in January by the 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, the 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 take only a few days depending on weather.
Asked about the project, the 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.”
