The iron of Finnbhenach
The main reason why Finnbhenach ran away from the Queen's herd to live with that of the king is entirely satirical. The author expounds that Finnbhenach did not want to live in the herd owned by a woman; hence, he had to run away and live with the king's herd. The entire narrative is satirical because the bull does not want to see a woman, but it loves being around female cows in a man's head.
The irony of Queen Medb
The text explores the woman's power and dominance which contradicts the patriarchal societal order in the ancient centuries. Queen Medb is King Aillil's wife, but she is very powerful. Satirically, Queen Medb competes with her husband in all aspects, including power, wealth, and influence. For instance, Queen Medb wants to have more wealth than her husband because she believes that she must be ahead. The reader finds Queen's Medb aggression and thirst for power satirical because that shows disrespect to her husband and contradicts the expectations of the patriarchal society.
The irony of Morrigan
Morrigan is a supernatural figure who takes the form of a beautiful maiden. Morrigan steps in to help Cu Chulainn to defeat his enemies when they closed the border. However, Morrigan is very beautiful, and she decides to offer her love to Cu Chulainn. Ironically, when Cu Chulainn rejects her love, she transforms into an eel and starts attacking him. Cu Chulainn injures her but still helps her to heal when she transforms into a milkmaid.
Disobedience to the loaned bull
Queen Medb loans bull Donn Cuailnge because she wants to have similar assets to her husband. The Queen is loaned the bull for one year, and she signs an agreement to indicate that she will honor her actions. Ironically, after taking the bull, the Queen does not want to give it back. The Queen intentionally breaks the agreement and initiates a war to make sure she possesses the bull for good. Consequently, the reader is astonished to learn that the Queen shamelessly dishonors her agreement with the bull owner.
The political satire
The book explores the theme of political stability, which aids the reader to realize that political leaders such as Queen Medb are potential enemies of stability. Queen Medb is a woman who has been given the power and responsibility to rule, but she uses her influence for selfish gains. The entire book shows how the countries are unstable politically because of the regular invasions, mostly from the Queen. The Queen does not embrace dialogue because she often breaks agreements and negotiations with other kingdoms. The reader finds it ironic that a woman leader who is trusted to be a mother of the nation uses her power to create instability so that she can get away easily.
