Until 1951 when financial difficulties forced William Howard, 8th Earl of Wicklow to sell the estate to the Irish State, Shelton Abbey was the ancestral seat of the Earls of Wicklow. The current building is set in extensive grounds and replaced a previous less extensive country house which had, in 1690, accommodated the fleeing James II of England after the Battle of the Boyne. The present mansion was originally built in 1770, but extensively remodelled in a Gothic style by the Irish architect, Sir Richard Morrison, in 1819. Despite its institutional role, the building retains much of the original internal and external fabric and architectural characteristics. In the early 1840sthe house and its demesne were described in Bartlett'sThe Scenery and Antiquities of Ireland as follows:
Prison
Previously used by the state as a residential forestry training facility, Shelton Abbey has, since the early 1970s, been used as an open prison for males aged 19 years and over who are regarded as requiring lower levels of security. Accommodation for most prisoners is in dormitories. There are a few prisoners serving life sentences and some of these have single room accommodation. During the period 2001 and 2009 the daily average number of prisoners held at Shelton Abbey has varied between 27 and 94. An additional accommodation wing, Avoca House, was opened in May 2009. This separate wing increased the capacity of the prison to 110. No sex offenders or Immigration Warrant prisoners were held in custody at the prison during 2009. Participation in courses organised by and through the Education Unit is double the rate of that in other Irish prisons The prison provides various activities and amenities for its inmates including but not limited to woodwork, arts and crafts, computers, French, English, maths, music, literacy, cookery, physical education, pottery and golf. In addition the staff seek to improve inmate welfare and mental health through group psychological programs such as "Anger Management" and "Emotional Awareness" and participation in such programs is high. Other activities prisoners participate in include looking after livestock donated by farmers to the development agencyBothar prior to their transport to farmers in Africa. Notwithstanding the pleasant surroundings, generally good amenities and relaxed security, the rate of absconding by inmates is high as are seizures of mobile phones from inmates and their visitors. However this level of recalcitrance is attributed to the use of the prison by the IPS to transfer prisoners not so much inclined to reform than others as a means of reducing overcrowding at other prisons.
