Dramatic Irony: Skellig's Character
Skellig has wings and revives Michael's sister as her guardian angel. Ironically, however, at the beginning of the story, he neither looks nor behaves like an angel. Rather, he is weak, filthy, speaks with a squeaky voice, and likes Chinese food and beer. He also introduces himself as "Nobody," thus downplaying the crucial role that he takes on later in the story.
Dramatic Irony: Teachers' Perceptions of Michaels' Education
The teachers at Michael's school think that their lessons are of the utmost importance to their students. For example, when Michael returns to school after some days of absence, his Science teacher tells him that he has to catch up with the class. This is ironic because, in the meantime, Mina has taught him more about evolution at home than his classmates have learned at school, which means that Michael is actually ahead of his classmates.
The Irony of Teaching in a Classroom (Situational Irony)
Michael's teachers want to teach their students about the world, yet the children are, ironically, placed in an enclosed, gloomy room, using books and illustrations to study, rather than going outside and exploring the world. Mina is very aware of this irony, and Michael becomes aware of it to an extent as well. For example, Michael sees the irony in his teachers reading and grading the students' diaries, which are supposed to be repositories for private, unfettered thoughts.
Verbal Irony: The Toilet
Michael's father removed the filthy toilet from the living room and put it in the garden, ironically saying "Thought it'd make a nice garden seat for us," knowing well that it is the opposite of a garden seat and that it will be discarded soon.
