The Dubliners were an Irish folk band founded in Dublin in 1962 as The Ronnie Drew Ballad Group after its founding member; they subsequently renamed themselves The Dubliners. The line-up saw many changes over their fifty-year career, but the group's success was centred on lead singers Luke Kelly and Ronnie Drew. The band garnered international success with their lively Irish folk songs, traditional street ballads and instrumentals.
Molly Malone is a popular folk song which was first published in London in 1884. When it was published, it was said to be written and composed by James Yorkston from Edinburgh. The music to the song was arranged by Edmund Forman. It was also published in Cambridge, Massachusetts around the same time. It still remains a little unclear as to who actually wrote the song... and when?
The song is set in Dublin, Ireland, and tells the story of a beautiful girl who was a fishmonger by the name of Molly Malone. She sells her wares on the streets of Dublin, and dies of a fever at a young age. The song is also known as 'Cockles and Mussels', or 'In Dublin's Fair City'.
In Dublin, Molly Malone is so popular that it has become its unofficial anthem, celebrating the 13th June as Molly Malone Day. The statue of Molly was erected for Dublin's first millenium in 1988, and lies in Grafton St, Dublin.