The central issues in the The Lieutenant of Inishmore are below.

Animals versus humans

The characters worry more about cats than humans and to some degree this increases the audience's attachment to the cats. This device simultaneously focuses the audiences' attention on the absurd sentimentality of worrying and fussing over the death of a terrorist's cat when larger political issues are at stake.

Balance in life

Power balance, gender imbalances, social injustices are thrown on their heads in this play.

Barbarity

The more gory and outrageous the dramatic action the more forcefully McDonagh makes his points about mindless barbarity (Rees, 2006).

Codes of conduct

There coexists in the play a homely, domestic sentimentality, with a fierce political extremism. This means McDonagh explores a world where normal codes of conduct and rationality have been turned on their head (Sheedy, 2003).

Irish history and the misuse of Irish history

McDonagh uses and misuses Irish history to highlight the absurdity of present day terrorism.

Justice

The play questions the notions of justice as not one character is called to account by the law for their actions.

Mindless Fanaticism

The play depicts an orgy of random violence, and individuals fuelled by a mixture of puritanism, sentimentality and mindless fanaticism whose political aims have long been subsumed by a desire to terrorize for its own sake (Luckhurst, 2006, p.119).

Perversity

The actions of the characters are perverse and shockingly absurd.

Terrorism

McDonagh uses explicit cruelty to expose the pointlessness of the terrorism he is criticizing. He challenges the absurdity of the Irish terrorist movement (Rees, 2006).

Violence

McDonagh believes that the violence has a purpose in this play. He writes from a position of pacifist rage, 'It's a violent play that is wholeheartedly anti­violence' (Chambers & Jordan, 2006, p.8).