Kilbride Arklow (Wicklow) County Wicklow
Shelton Abbey is located in the civil parish of Kilbride Arklow in County Wicklow.
Shelton Abbey
The Abbey was built in 1770 and originally served as a mansion house and was the ancestral seat of the Earls of Wicklow.
In 1819 it was redesigned in the gothic style. This was carried out by Sir Richard Morrison.
The building has been preserved to an excellent standard and its style maintained to represent buildings of this secluded nature.
In 1951, the owner of the estate, William Howard the 8th Earl of Wicklow, was forced to sell Shelton Abbey amid financial difficulties. It was purchased by the Irish State who repurposed it as a residential training facility for forestry workers.
In the early 1970s, the State repurposed Shelton Abbey once again, this time as a low-security prison for men. The facility is still in operation today and can house up to 100 prisoners in a somewhat experimental style of imprisonment. The prisoners take on tasks such as raising donated farm animals before they are shipped to Africa by the charity Bóthar. There is also a strong focus on education and rehabilitation through talk therapy and anger management.
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References
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Inventory of Architectural Heritage | Ireland | VIEW SOURCE |
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Online Article about Shelton Abbey Prison | Ireland | VIEW SOURCE |
