In 1956, the Irish Republican Army launched a campaign of attacks against British military and police targets in Northern Ireland, known as the Border Campaign. The campaign, which lasted until 1962, was a failure, but it demonstrated the continued commitment of republicans to the armed struggle. The Border Campaign was a precursor to the later Troubles, and its failure contributed to a shift in republican strategy.

The Border Campaign is a subject of republican poetry, with writers celebrating the courage of the IRA volunteers. The campaign's failure is often contrasted with the successes of the earlier War of Independence, creating a sense of disappointment. The poetry of the period reflects the frustrations of republicans, a theme that would persist in the literature of the Troubles.