In 1782, the Irish Parliament, led by Henry Grattan, secured legislative independence from Britain, repealing Poynings' Law and the Declaratory Act. This period, known as Grattan's Parliament, gave Ireland a measure of self-governance for nearly two decades. The new constitutional arrangement was a high point for the Protestant Ascendancy but largely excluded the Catholic majority from political power.

Grattan's Parliament was celebrated in the poetry of the Patriot Party, with writers lauding the restoration of Irish legislative freedom. However, this era of independence was also criticized by poets like William Drennan, who saw it as a narrow Protestant triumph that did not address Catholic grievances. The poetry of this period reflects the complex interplay of national pride and sectarian division.