vest ▁of ▁ 1 8 7 7 . ▁ ▁Rad ical ▁Irish ▁Member ▁of ▁Parliament ▁Charles ▁Stewart ▁Par nell ▁of ▁the ▁Home ▁Rule ▁League ▁( l ater ▁its ▁leader ), ▁Michael ▁Dav itt ▁of ▁the ▁Irish ▁National ▁Land ▁League ▁and ▁some ▁Irish ▁cler gy , ▁not ably ▁Bishop ▁Log ue ▁of ▁Rap ho e , ▁were ▁act ively ▁involved ▁in ▁campaign ing ▁to ▁put ▁pressure ▁on ▁the ▁British ▁government ▁and ▁in ▁the ▁distribution ▁of ▁aid . ▁Since ▁the ▁fam ine ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 8 4 0 s ▁a ▁railway ▁system ▁had ▁been ▁built , ▁allowing ▁food ▁to ▁be ▁transport ed ▁to ▁the ▁west ▁of ▁Ireland ▁in ▁days ▁instead ▁of ▁weeks . ▁ ▁A id ▁also ▁arrived ▁from ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁( which ▁now ▁had ▁a ▁considerable ▁Irish ▁American ▁population ▁because ▁of ▁the ▁previous ▁fam ine ), ▁with ▁public ▁support ▁further ▁ar oused ▁by ▁journal ists ▁such ▁as ▁James ▁Red path ▁at ▁the ▁New - Y ork ▁Trib une , ▁who ▁contributed ▁v ivid , ▁moving ▁reports ▁of ▁the ▁mis ery ▁in ▁Ireland . ▁The ▁Department ▁of ▁the ▁Navy ▁dispatch ed ▁USS ▁Const ell ation ▁in ▁March ▁ 1 8 8 0 , ▁with ▁over ▁ 3 , 3 0 0 ▁bar rel s ▁of ▁food ▁ab o ard , ▁along ▁with ▁cl othing . ▁Similarly , ▁$ 2 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁was ▁collected ▁by ▁the ▁New ▁York ▁Her ald ▁by ▁late ▁February ▁ 1 8 8 0 . ▁ ▁Un like ▁earlier ▁fam ines , ▁what ▁is ▁sometimes ▁called