The Restoration of Charles II in 1660 brought a period of uncertainty for the Cromwellian settlers in Ireland, as the new king sought to balance the claims of the old English and Irish landowners with those of the new Protestant interest. The resulting Act of Settlement 1662 confirmed many of the Cromwellian land transfers but also restored some lands to Catholic royalists. The settlement was a compromise that left the land question unresolved and contributed to the political tensions of the late 17th century.

The Restoration land settlement is a theme of disappointment and betrayal in Irish poetry, with Catholic poets lamenting the failure to fully restore their lands. The settlement's ambiguity is reflected in the poetry of the period, which often expressed a sense of loss and uncertainty. The land question would continue to be a central theme in Irish poetry, from the aisling poems to the agrarian protests of the 19th century.