Python's configure adds -ldl to LIBS on irix5. This is not needed, and it produces compiler warnings that this lib did not resolve any symbols and can be removed. Possibly it's adding an unnecessary dependence on that lib.
If I understand the configure script correctly it checks whether the following code is compiled and linked correctly with -ldl:

char dlopen();

int main() {
dlopen()
; return 0; }

Now this code compiles and links on IRIX 5.3 without any specific library. With -ldl you get a warning

lorenz 12% cc x.c 
lorenz 13% cc x.c -ldl
ld:
The shared object /usr/lib/libdl.so did not resolve any symbols.
        You may want to remove it from your link line.
lorenz 14% cat x.c
char dlopen();

int main() {
dlopen()
; return 0; }
lorenz 15% 

probably the configure script should check for any output to stderr when doing the compiling/linking attempt with the sample code.