Grafton Street is one of the two principal shopping streets in Dublin city center, the other being Henry Street. It runs from St. Stephen's Green in the south to College Green in the north. The street was named after Henry FitzRoy, 1st Duke of Grafton, who owned land in the area. The street was developed from a then existing country lane by the Dawson family in 1708, after whom the parallel Dawson Street is named.Since the 1980s, the street has been mostly pedestrianised, with the exception of the short stretch running between Nassau Street and College Green. This short stretch contains two notable Dublin landmarks, the eighteenth century Trinity College Provost's House, home to the head of the college, and the late twentieth century statue of Molly Malone, which has become a popular Dublin meeting place.
The Molly Malone statue was designed by Jeanne Rynhart and was erected to celebrate the city's first millennium in 1987. 'Molly Malone' is a popular song, set in Dublin, Ireland, which has become the unofficial anthem of Dublin City. It has also in Ireland acquired the status of an Irish anthem.
The song tells the tale of a beautiful fishmonger who plied her trade on the streets of Dublin, but who died young, of a fever. Recently a legend has grown up that there was a historical Molly, who lived in the 17th century. However, there is no evidence that the song is based on a real woman, of the 17th century or at any other time.
The song lyrics are as follows:
In Dublin's fair city,
where the girls are so pretty,
I first set my eyes on sweet Molly Malone,
As she wheeled her wheel-barrow,
Through streets broad and narrow,
Crying, "Cockles and mussels, alive, alive, oh!"
"Alive, alive, oh,
Alive, alive, oh",
Crying "Cockles and mussels, alive, alive, oh".
She was a fishmonger,
And sure 'twas no wonder,
For so were her father and mother before,
And they each wheeled their barrow,
Through streets broad and narrow,
Crying, "Cockles and mussels, alive, alive, oh!"
(chorus)
She died of a fever,
And no one could save her,
And that was the end of sweet Molly Malone.
Now her ghost wheels her barrow,
Through streets broad and narrow,
Crying, "Cockles and mussels, alive, alive, oh!"
Some other sights we saw were The Spire of Dublin. The Spire, officially titled the Monument of Light is a large, stainless steel, pin-like monument 390 ft in height, located on the site of the former Nelson's Pillar on O'Connell Street in Dublin.
A statue of James Joyce, the world-famous Irish writer, walking with a cane in his hand.
O'Connell Street and alot of other interesting things.
Tomorrow we fly home. I have had a great time visitng Ireland and I will be sad to leave.
