Molly Malone statue ‘violated’ by groping, says campaigner

An urban myth has emerged over the years which claims that touching the statue’s breasts will somehow bring good luck.

It is a myth that has been perpetuated by some tourist companies – a practice that Ms Cripwell wants Dublin City Council to clamp down on.

One example of this was still visible on a Spain-based tourism website, Viabam, on Tuesday morning.

In a feature about the statue, the website read: “They say that if you take a photo with her while touching her breasts, you will return to visit the city.

“And it seems to work, as it is one of the most sought-after and photographed monuments in Dublin.”

When contacted by BBC News NI, Viabam’s spokesperson said the article was written a couple of years ago and it was “never our intention to offend anyone”.

“We were totally unaware of this campaign and we have absolutely no problem in removing that information,” they added.

Ms Cripwell said she wants tourist firms to “actively deter” their customers from touching the Molly Malone statue.

But several tourists – both male and female – were photographed by news agencies as they touched the statue during the St Patrick’s Day festival on Monday.

The campaigner said the sculpture’s “allegedly busty dress” was viewed as “a green card for this behaviour”.

She added the practice is also popular at other European tourist sites, including at the statue of Shakespeare’s Juliet in Verona.