After years of being rubbed up by many a visitor, Molly Malone's front has been painted black.
If you frequent the Suffolk Street area of town at all, you'll be well accustomed to the sight. Beaming tourists bundled up with fanny packs and Guinness jumpers, eagerly waiting to lay their mitts on poor Molly's worn down mammaries.
Now, there's an extra layer for tourists to get through before they find the gold within, as the iconic Molly Malone statue has been defaced with black paint.
At least, the most popular part of her has been.
In an act that could have been carried out by a prim well wisher looking to provide Molly with a bit of dignity, her frequently fondled breast plate has been hastily covered with a layer of black paint. Speaking to The Independent, Dublin City Council confirmed that the statue had been vandalised, and that they intend to remove the paint as soon as possible.
Sweet Molly Malone, image by the Lovin team.
The council added that a motive for the act was unclear.
The paint hasn't deterred anyone from copping a feel - when we popped down to take a few pictures there was the usual queue of tourists ready and waiting for their chance - we even overheard one person claim "it'll make yours grow bigger!"
The Molly Malone statue was erected in 1988 by Lord of Mayor of Dublin Ben Briscoe, to celebrate the city's millennium. Originally situated on Grafton Street, Molly was moved to Suffolk Street in 2014 to allow for works on the Luas.
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