Throughout 2020, as part of the Decade of Centenaries commemorations, Irish cultural institutions and universities undertook a significant reassessment of the Irish literary canon. This involved re-evaluating the contributions of women poets, writers in the Irish language, and those from marginalized communities to the national narrative. The remaking of the canon aimed to create a more inclusive and representative understanding of Irish literature, reflecting the diversity of Irish identity.

The remaking of the canon was a direct outcome of the political and cultural changes wrought by the independence struggle, as Irish poets and scholars sought to define a national literature distinct from the English tradition. Writers like W.B. Yeats, Lady Gregory, and Douglas Hyde championed this effort, leading to the creation of a self-consciously Irish literary tradition. This process of canon formation continues to shape Irish poetry, influencing what is read, taught, and celebrated as Irish literature.