On February 9, 1996, the Provisional IRA detonated a large bomb at Canary Wharf in London, ending a 17-month ceasefire and killing two people. The bombing, which caused extensive damage to the financial district, was a major setback to the peace process. The Canary Wharf bombing demonstrated the IRA's continued capacity for violence and its willingness to use it to pressure the British government.

The Canary Wharf bombing is a subject of mourning in Irish poetry, with writers lamenting the loss of life and condemning the violence. The attack is often contrasted with the ideals of peace, 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.