In August 1971, the Northern Ireland government, under Prime Minister Brian Faulkner, introduced a policy of internment without trial for suspected republicans. The policy, which was opposed by the British government, led to the arrest and detention of hundreds of Catholics, many of whom were innocent. Internment was a disastrous policy that alienated the Catholic community and fueled support for the IRA.

Internment is a subject of outrage in Irish poetry, with writers condemning the policy as an act of injustice. The arrests and detentions are often contrasted with the ideals of British justice, creating a sense of hypocrisy. The poetry of the period reflects the anger and frustration of the Catholic community, a theme that would persist in the literature of the Troubles.