Question

how the title the dear departed is ironical?

Answer 1

because of those sisters quarrelling about Abel's properties,the old man got bored with them and married shorrocks and went away. by this ,the old man went away from there.this resulted sisters getting no property and got departed from their father.the title is very correct.

Answer 2

The title of the play is ironical because the dear that had departed was neither dear nor gone. In the story, the grand father is assumed dead and instead of mourning, his two daughters begin dividing his possessions. The sisters keep trying to one up the other and gets elfish, prudent, and manipulative. Both of them want a favourable share of their father's property and money. However, neither want to mourn the loss of the person they both have been raised by. Hence, the title aptly comments on the irony of the situation where there's actually no dear who hasdeparted.