On July 31, 1975, the Miami Showband, a popular Irish showband, was attacked by the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) at a fake checkpoint in County Down. Three members of the band were killed in the attack, which was one of the most notorious sectarian killings of the Troubles. The Miami Showband massacre was a brutal act of violence that shocked the people of Ireland.

The Miami Showband massacre is a subject of mourning in Irish poetry, with writers lamenting the loss of life and condemning the sectarian violence. The attack is often contrasted with the ideals of a shared culture, creating a sense of tragedy. The poetry of the period reflects the grief and anger of the community, a theme that would persist in the literature of the Troubles.