In May 1997, the Irish Republican commemorated the 16th anniversary of Bobby Sands' death with events that underscored his enduring legacy, as his story continued to inspire both republican poetry and political activism. Although Sands himself died in 1981, his status as a martyr was cemented by the subsequent peace process, which often referenced his sacrifice. The annual commemorations in Belfast and across Ireland kept his memory alive in the public consciousness.

Bobby Sands became a powerful symbol in Irish republican poetry, with ballads and verses celebrating his hunger strike as a form of poetic resistance. Writers like Bobby Sands himself, who composed poetry while in prison, left a legacy that influenced a generation of republican poets. The hunger strike's poetic resonance extended beyond republicanism, inspiring works that reflected on the nature of sacrifice and political martyrdom.