Catering Retreat (Dramatic Irony)
A humorous instance of dramatic irony occurs when Joe chooses to work with the LGSM and begin a new chapter of his life as a proud gay man. In order to spend so much time in London and go on the overnight trips to the town in Wales, he tells his strict middle-class parents that he is going on a retreat for catering college. The other members of the LGSM think this is very amusing, often joking that Joe's parents think he is making pastries when actually he is becoming a radical. This is an example of dramatic irony in that Joe's parents do not know about his lie, but we the viewers do.
Dancing (Situational Irony)
After Jonathan goes into his flamboyant dance at the Welfare Hall, it is clear that the women of the town love it, but less clear if the more stoic men of the town will take kindly to his gay antics. Humorously enough, many of the Welsh men are very intrigued by the power that Jonathan's dancing seems to have over women in Onllwyn, and ask him to help them improve their own dancing skills.
Dai's Speech (Situational Irony)
When Dai comes to London to thank the group for their donation, there is some tension about whether he will take kindly to the fact that they are an explicitly gay group. They bring him to a gay bar and he wants to make a speech, which makes some of the group members anxious—what if he says something offensive?—but he unexpectedly manages to express his gratitude in ways that link the gay community and the miners together in a heartfelt and unprejudiced way.
Mark's Death (Situational Irony)
While it does not take place within the narrative of the film, we learn in the credits that the real Mark Ashton died of complications from AIDS when he was only 26, not long after the events depicted in the film. In this afterward, the viewer is led to see the devastating situational irony of a gifted and promising young activist who died too soon from a disease that was so stigmatized.
