irish theatre
Preserved but no longer current.
The temporary prison, guard-room, or lock-up in a barracks. The fond fancy of the soldier supplies it with other figurative appellations, as "the mill," "the jigger," "the house that Jack built." In Edinburgh Castle it is termed "the dryroom."
Era: ca. 1874 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Historical definition reproduced from Hotten’s The Slang Dictionary (1874, public domain; Project Gutenberg #42108, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “irish theatre” mean?
The temporary prison, guard-room, or lock-up in a barracks. The fond fancy of the soldier supplies it with other figurative appellations, as "the mill," "the jigger," "the house that Jack built." In Edinburgh Castle it is termed "the dryroom."
Is “irish theatre” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.