Stewards brought in to protect 'groped' Molly Malone statue

5 May 2025

Sara Girvin

BBC Ireland correspondent

A sign bearing the campaign name around the neck of the Molly Malone statue was quickly removed by a er-by

BBC A close up of the statue of Molly Malone, but around her neck someone has hung a sign which says 'LEAVE MOLLY mALONE'. — A sign bearing the campaign name around the neck of the Molly Malone statue was quickly removed by a er-by

Stewards have been stationed next to the Molly Malone statue in Dublin to discourage people from touching it.

The city's council is running the pilot scheme after it received complaints about people groping the sculpture's breasts.

The practice is thought to have been started by a local tour guide, and the bronze has now become discoloured from years of touching.

Ray Yeates, the Arts Officer for Dublin City Council said stewards were in place to have a "conversation" with people about touching Molly Malone.

The stewards are in place at the Molly Malone statue until the end of this week only

A man with sunglasses and a navy coat stands beside the famous statue of Molly Malone. — The stewards are in place at the Molly Malone statue until the end of this week only

"They're not guards or police, it's a gentle confrontation of the behaviour," he said.

"Some people say, and they have a point to make, that it's being touched inappropriately," he told BBC News NI.

While he said it was a "worldwide phenomenon that statues are touched or rubbed and it becomes a custom," some people had "made a good point where we're mimicking behaviour we don't want to see in public".

"It would be illegal in public, so why would we mimic it":[]}