In 1850, the Irish Tenant League was founded in Dublin to campaign for the rights of tenant farmers, who faced high rents, insecure tenures, and the threat of eviction. The League, which drew support from both Catholic and Protestant tenants, sought to secure the 'Three F's'—fair rent, fixity of tenure, and free sale. The Tenant League was a precursor to later land reform movements and reflected the growing political consciousness of the Irish rural population.

The Irish Tenant League is a subject of social and political poetry, with writers exploring the plight of the tenant farmer and the injustice of the land system. The League's campaign is often contrasted with the earlier agrarian secret societies, suggesting a shift towards constitutional politics. The poetry of the period reflects the growing importance of the land question in Irish politics, a theme that would dominate Irish literature for decades.