You ask a very good question. There is, indeed, a use of irony in "The Tell-Tale Heart." The most common form of literary irony is situational irony, which takes place when something happens in the story that goes against what we (the reader) expect or what makes sense.
In "The Tell-Tale Heart," there are several examples of irony. It is ironic that the murder's attempt to conceal his crime is what actually causes his incarceration. The fact that the killer confesses his crime when the policemen seemed to be quite relaxed and had no intention of arresting him is ironic. The death of one man with what may be considered a flaw (his eye) at the hands of one with a much more severe flaw (madness) is ironic; the murderer's flaw was hidden, but was infinitely more serious than the murdered's, which was visible, but of no danger to anyone but himself.
Overall, there are many ironies within "The Tell-Tale Heart." The principle of the value of friendship can be interpreted as being addressed via irony, as can many other variables. Within the story, several core human values are touched upon in ways that may be seen as ironic. This use of irony is typical of Poe's works.
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