mad / crazy
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mad / confused
Mentally confused, crazy, or not in one's right mind. It can also be used for something very strange or chaotic.
Nach dem Unfall redete er ganz irr und zusammenhanglos.
After the accident, he spoke in a completely confused and incoherent way.
The adjective 'irr' (mad/crazy) belongs to the word family around the verb 'irren', which means 'to be mistaken' or 'to wander around'. Related words are 'der Irrtum' (the mistake) or 'die Irrfahrt' (a chaotic journey).
Es war ein Irrtum zu glauben, dass die Prüfung einfach wird.
It was a mistake to believe that the exam would be easy.
The meaning of 'irr' (mad/crazy) depends heavily on the context. If it refers to a person or their words, it usually means 'confused'. If it stands before a noun to intensify it, it colloquially means 'incredible' or 'enormous'.
Der alte Mann wurde im Alter etwas irr.
The old man became somewhat confused in old age.
In the meaning 'verwirrt' (confused), 'irr' is often used with verbs such as 'reden' (to talk), 'sein' (to be), or 'werden' (to become). A common phrase is also 'jemanden irr machen', which means 'to drive someone crazy'.
Der Lärm von der Baustelle macht mich noch ganz irr.
The noise from the construction site is going to drive me completely crazy.
The meaning 'gewaltig' (tremendous) or 'unglaublich' (incredible) is very colloquial. It is used in informal conversations to express amazement or a high degree of intensity.
Das war ein irrer Zufall, dich hier zu treffen!
That was an incredible coincidence, meeting you here!
In colloquial language, 'irr' functions as an intensifier before nouns. Typical combinations are 'ein irrer Spaß' (great fun), 'ein irres Geld' (a huge amount of money), or 'ein irres Gefühl' (an incredible feeling).
Die Achterbahnfahrt war ein irrer Spaß.
The roller-coaster ride was great fun.
normal
'normal' and 'irr' can be opposites when something seems clear, orderly, and predictable, or very confusing and crazy. 'normal' describes something ordinary or reasonable. 'irr' is much stronger and can mean that a person seems confused or that a situation is very chaotic and strange. The word is often colloquial and can sound harsh, especially when used about people. For the opposite of 'normal', the important meaning here is 'crazy or very strange', not the intensifying use as in 'irr schnell' (incredibly fast).
Der Film war so irr, dass ich die Geschichte kaum verstanden habe.
The film was so crazy that I could hardly understand the story.
Nach dem Gespräch läuft im Büro wieder alles normal.
After the conversation, everything in the office is running normally again.