Fishwife with a Knife - 2025

Created in collaboration with Bronagh Conroy. Wrought Iron stand made by Kieran Kearney.

Fishwife (noun): 

1. a woman who sells fish (archaic). 

2. a coarse-mannered, unpleasant woman who is prone to shouting (derogatory).

Molly Malone - legendary 17th century streethawker, fishmonger, rumoured prostitute, the Tart with the Cart, Dublin’s favourite working woman - has had enough. 

In the last decade or so, a disconcerting “tradition” has become popular among visitors to Dublin to rub Molly’s boobs for good luck. So much so, that her boobs are visibly more polished than the rest of her. They glow golden on an otherwise dull bronze statue.

This “tradition” has sparked many local think pieces and protests, which all ask basically the same question: What’s with the disconcerting amount of people who feel an urge to grab every pair of tits they see? This hardly has anything to do with how we generally view female bodies in public spaces? It’s probably not related to how gender-based sexual violence is often brushed off as a joke and “not that deep”? Huh. Haaaaaaaaardly. 

Our Molly is a modern reimagining of the archetypal working Dublin woman, a surreal tongue-in-cheek piece that asks - well, what would you do if subjected to such casual groping? We’ve simply given the fishwife her fishknife and left the rest implied. Rather than highlighting her victimhood, we have given her agency to deal with any wandering hands herself. According to the song, “No-one could save her”, but maybe Molly doesn’t need saving. Maybe she is well-able to sort herself out. 

Calm, vicious, irreverent, our Molly asks what kind of violence we find acceptable. At what point protest needs to become physical, when voices aren’t heard. She is an ode to all the weapons of women we know. To being fiercely protective of one’s space, body and city. To being prone to shouting. 

Dimentions 72cm diameter, 1.7m high

Currently residing in West Cork with Bronagh. Email to arrange delivery options.