rger farmers. However, during this time, county politics settled back in to the former landlord-tenant rivalry.
Agricultural production and profits expanded in Ireland until 1876, as well as other indications of an improving standard of living (Foster 402). Foster observes, however, that with a disastrous harvest in 1877 and an inadequate recovery in 1878, a very different picture was presented in 1879 (402). This led to the Land War of 1879-82, which was a political battle between the dominant landed Parliamentary classes and the moral forces represented by the tenantry. Foster maintains that the unique social and political issues generated by these events formed the crucible of Parnellism and its alignment with Fenianism (403).
Charles Stewart dominated politics in Britain and Ireland in the 1880s and gave his name to a political system that became known as "Parnellism." Parnellism, however, attempted to further Irish aims through Parliamentary measures. On t
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