In June 1919, the First Dáil established a system of Dáil Courts, which operated as an alternative legal system to the British courts in Ireland. The Dáil Courts, which were set up to administer justice in areas controlled by the IRA, were a key element of the republican counter-state. The courts demonstrated the Dáil's claim to legitimacy and undermined the authority of the British legal system.

The Dáil Courts are a subject of political poetry, with writers celebrating the establishment of an Irish legal system as a sign of sovereignty. The courts' existence is often contrasted with the British legal system, which was seen as illegitimate. The poetry of the period reflects the Dáil's efforts to build a functioning state, a theme that would persist in the literature of the early Irish Free State.