Heard on the radio today, by an advocate of safety measures to protect against brain injuries:

There is only one cure: prevention.

Um--perhaps that was meant ironically?

Hmm--how come in the above word we pronounce the first two syllables eye-ron, but if it's just iron we say eye-urn?

Nope - no irony in the delivery. Just an imprecise grasp of the concept of "cure".

As to irony, I am as likely to pronounce the "iron" part the same as the word "iron" as not. Regardless, the two words don't seem to be related (iron is from prehistoric Gmc word probably of Venetic or Illyrian origin like OIr iarn ... akin to Venetic Isaras, a river; akin to L ira, anger; while irony is from L ironia, from Gk eironeia, from eiron, dissembler).

Pronunciation of the [r] mostly depends on where the emphasis falls, not is? I think this goes even for the non-rhotic among us.

Edited consonantly