In 1963, Terence O'Neill became Prime Minister of Northern Ireland, promising to reform the province's sectarian political system. O'Neill's tenure was marked by attempts to improve relations with the Republic of Ireland and to address the grievances of the Catholic minority. However, his reforms were resisted by hardline unionists, and his failure to deliver meaningful change contributed to the outbreak of the Troubles.

O'Neill's premiership is a subject of political poetry, with writers exploring the hopes and frustrations of his reformist agenda. His failure is often contrasted with the earlier successes of the civil rights movement, creating a sense of missed opportunity. The poetry of the period reflects the tensions of the 1960s, a theme that would dominate the literature of the Troubles.