In October 1642, the Catholic Confederation, also known as the Confederate Ireland, established a de facto government in Kilkenny, representing the Catholic interests during the Irish Confederate Wars. The Confederation controlled most of Ireland and operated as an independent state until its defeat by Cromwell in 1649. It was the most significant exercise of Irish self-government between the Norman invasion and the 20th century.

The Confederate Ireland period is a subject of intense poetic interest, with writers debating the meaning of this experiment in Irish self-governance. The Confederation's parliament and courts inspired a body of political poetry that articulated the ideals of Irish sovereignty. The Confederation's eventual defeat and the subsequent Cromwellian conquest are themes in the poetry of the period, which mourned the loss of this brief flowering of Irish independence.