In 1880, Charles Stewart Parnell was elected leader of the Irish Parliamentary Party, replacing Isaac Butt. Parnell, a Protestant landlord, proved to be a brilliant political strategist, transforming the party into a disciplined and effective force in British politics. Under Parnell's leadership, the party employed tactics of obstructionism and alliances with other opposition groups to advance the cause of Home Rule.

Parnell's leadership is a subject of intense poetic interest, with writers praising his political skill and lamenting his eventual downfall. The poetry of the period reflects the cult of personality that surrounded Parnell, as well as the deep divisions caused by his fall. Parnell's legacy is a recurring theme in Irish poetry, from the work of W.B. Yeats, who saw him as a tragic hero, to the political verse of the late 19th century.