Green’s Dictionary of Slang

Moll Doyle n.

used as a generic for the inhabitants of Ireland .

1832

Satirist (London) 29 July 245/3: 100 of the Royal Marine Artillery, and 300 Horse Marines [...] are collecting in Plymouth, to form part of a secret expedition, supposed to be intended for a descent upon Moll Doyle’s Pigs, geese and turkey-pouts, in the Emerald Isle [...] at the suit of Stanley and the Parsons versus the ‘Natives’.

In phrases

give someone Moll Doyle (v.) [Moll Doyle’s daughters, a clandestine agrarian society, pitted against rapacious landlords and similar figures]

(Irish) to scold, to reprimand, usu. of a wife to a husband.

1997

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In exclamations

by the powers of Moll Doyle! (also by the power! by the powers! by the powers of Moll Kelly! by the powers of Peg Plunket!) [see cit. 1905]

(Irish) a mild oath.

1821		‘A Real Paddy’ Real Life in Ireland 63: ‘By the powers of Moll Kelly!’ smiled Gram.
1827		Pierce Egan’s Life in London 25 Feb. 869/1: ‘By de powers of Moll Kelly’ said a Grecian [...] ‘it is all up with the Popper’.
1829		Pierce Egan’s Wkly Courier 22 Mar. 4/1: Be de powers of Peg Plunket [...] you will be able to serve out Mr Dobell.
1832		Satirist (London) 4 Nov. 358/2: Still not one will his sword dare to measure with ours, / For, you see, it is three yards in length by the powers.
1836		T. Haliburton Clockmaker I 208: ‘By the powers of Moll Kelly,’ said he.
1837		‘Paddy Blake’s Echo’ in Bentley’s Misc. Feb. 187: Oh! by the pow’rs of Moll Kelly.
1854		Bell’s Life in Sydney 15 July 2/5: Be the phowers of Moll Kelly, and a dash of good luck, I overhauled that thafe.
1863		‘Rafferty’s Party’ in Donnybrook-Fair Comic Songster 50: By the powers of Moll Kelly, ’twas rare fun.
1891		Bird o’ Freedom (Sydney) 21 Feb. 2/3: ‘By the powers, me bhoy,’ cried Pat, ‘Ye spoke too late!’!
1895		J. Kirby Old Times in Bush 182: Be the powers of Moll Kelly [...] who cud shtand that.
1905		P.W. Joyce in Wright E.D.D. 147/1: During the 18th and the early part of the 19th century the Irish peasantry often formed themselves into various secret societies [...] these societies were always supposed to be under some leader, generally fictitious, with a fanciful name. Moll Doyle was one [....] ‘By the powers of Moll Doyle,’ [was] often heard as a sort of harmless oath.
1932		D.,W. Lovelace King Kong 80: ‘Dinosaur!’ Denham exploded. ‘By the Power! A dinosaur!’.