An Irish woman's cow was blamed for starting the Great Chicago Fire of 8 – 10 October 1871 but was finally exonerated in 1997.

Why not blame the Irish? On 10 October 1871 The Great Fire of Chicago was finally extinguished after three days, leaving approximately 300 people dead, 100,000 homeless, causing $222 million in damage, & having destroyed 3.3 m2/9 km2 of the city.

The exact cause of the fire was never determined, but a popular story was that a cow owned by an Irish woman, Catherine O'Leary knocked over a lantern and began the fire.

At the time buildings, sidewalks and even some roads were made of wood. Six weeks of drought had preceded the fire and with winter approaching burns and outhouses were packed to the Rafters with fuel.

The only natural firebreak, the ship Chicago River, was so polluted with oil that it too went up in flames.

On the very spot where the fire is reputed to have started, 558 West De Koven Street, you will now find The Robert J Quinn Fire Academy, one of Chicago's largest firefighting training centres, as well as one of its more quirky tourist attractions.

Back to blaming the Irish – the Chicago Tribune at the time reported that the fire in the O'Leary burn began when a cow being milked by Catherine O'Leary kicked over a kerosene lamp. The reporter, Michael Ahern, (more Irish) admitted years later that he made up the story. In fact Mrs O'Leary was asleep in bed when the fire started. That she was a woman from a marginalised hit Nick group made an easy target for vilification. Anti-Irish sentiment was very strong at the time. Fake news – some newspapers even reported that she was in bed at 9 PM when the fire started because she had passed out drunk – untrue. By the time she died in 1895, the story was established as an American legend.

In 1997 following a campaign by lawyer Richard Bales, the Chicago City Council passed an ordinance exonerating Catherine O'Leary of any blame for the Great Fire of Chicago.?