These almshouses, completed in 1868, were built at the bequest of Charles Sheils of Killough, Co Down a merchant who had made his fortune in Liverpool. His aim was "to help persons of small income, who have seen better days". Sheils' Institutions, as they were called, were built in Armagh, Dungannon, Stilloran, Killough and Carrickfergus to similar designs. The warden's quarters have a Gothic doorway and a clock tower. Each institution had an extensive garden. The institutions were and are non-sectarian, each board of governors having four Anglicans, four Catholics and four Presbyterians.