My ancestors - O'Mara - Contents

"Dunlica", College Road, Dulwich, London

Home of James O'Mara from 1907 to 1914.
This house has had many names (see below). Now called "St.John's Wood House".
I will refer to it as the O'Mara name, "Dunlica".

A tall detached house built in 1867, on College Road (a pleasant road which runs between Dulwich College and a park), Dulwich (the S end of Dulwich, location also described as "South Dulwich"), SC London (London SE21).
Location: Heading S down the bottom of College Rd, the house is located just past the Parish Church of St.Stephen, just past Sydenham Hill station. The house is on the RHS (same side as the church), just past the church, on the bend in the road.
See satellite view and 3D view and street view.

"Dunlica", 1913.
Front side.
See larger and original.

St. Stephen's vicarage

St. Stephen's Church (C of E), "South Dulwich", was built in 1867-1875.
The church was designed by Charles Barry, Jr, son of Sir Charles Barry (died 1860).
The house that was later called "Dunlica" was built in 1867 as the vicar's house.
"1867" is displayed in a stone on the side of the house farthest from the church.
The vicar's wife committed suicide here in 1893. See [McInnes, 2026].
Still the vicarage on 1896 map.
The vicarage moved in 1906 to a smaller house nearby.

Dunlica (O'Mara house)

The house was the home of James O'Mara and his wife Agnes Cashel from 1907 to 1914.
They named it "Dunlica" after Dunlica Castle, Co.Clare, where James had proposed to his wife (probably in the summer of 1892).
They pronounced it "Dun-lick-a", NOT "Dun-leek-a".

See entry in James' father's address book [P40/234]. Has "Ag's seaside address" as 2 Wentworth Terrace (now Market Cross Place, on the seafront), Aldeburgh, Suffolk. And then James and Agnes' main address, which he writes as "St Stephen's Vicarage" rather than Dunlica. Another entry says "Dunlica".
Neither the house nor O'Mara are listed in Dulwich street directories 1907 to 1914.
My grandmother Eithne O'Mara was born at "Dunlica" in 1908.
James and Agnes left in 1914 to go back to Ireland (after more than 20 years in England).
1919 electoral register and 1921 census give the house's name as "Palestine" and the occupiers as Henry and Hilda Mills.

Hotel

The house was then a hotel. First called Sydenham Court Hotel.
Name changed to Dulwich Court Hotel by 1927.
Dulwich Court Hotel shown there on 1936-1952 map.
In 1944 the building was damaged by a V-1 flying bomb impact, which more badly damaged the church.
Dulwich Court Hotel operated until 1954.

Children's home

In 1954 it became a Miss Sharman's children's home for girls.
In 1968 the Miss Sharman's homes became part of Barnardo's children's homes.
It was a Barnardo's home until 1987.
It was derelict for a number of years.

St. John's Wood House

It was purchased 1992 and restored again as a family home.
Now called "St. John's Wood House", 100 College Rd, a Grade 2 listed building.
The garden was open to the public on a one-off "Open Garden" day in 2015.

Dunlica (then the "Parsonage") on Dulwich Estate Map, 1876.
N is to the left.
See full size. From [McInnes, 2026].

Dunlica (then the "Vicarage"), S of St Stephen's church, on 1896 map.

Dunlica (now "Dulwich Court Hotel") on 1936-1952 map.

Front entrance

Entrance to "Dunlica", prob. 1913.
See full size.

Entrance gate to "Dunlica". Detail from above.

Rear side

"Dunlica", prob. 1913.
Rear side.
St Stephen's Church in background.
See larger and original.

Steen, Pat and Maureen, 1908.
In "Dunlica" back garden (church in background).
See larger and full size.
See back.

"Dunlica", rear side, Feb 1908.
Shows that the garden is down a slope from the house.
Note croquet hoops.
See larger and full size.

James O'Mara and his family, "Dunlica", London, 1912.
(Left to Right): Una, James O'Mara, Pat, Eithne, Agnes Cashel, Sheila, Steen, Maureen, Eileen.
This is the rear side. The garden looks here to be on the same level as the house, but the photo above shows this is an illusion. The garden is actually down a slope from the house.
See larger and full size.
See other scan.

"Dunlica" today

References

St John's Wood House, the former St Stephen's Vicarage, 100 College Road. Article by Ian McInnes, Sept 14, 2026. On the Dulwich Past site. From the Dulwich Society.

Sources yet to be consulted

The Story of St Stephen's, South Dulwich, Michael Goodman, 2007.