Kalimna

Kalimna - 12 Sackville St

‘Kalimna’, an eleven-roomed polychromatic brick home with stabling, was built in 1890-91. The architect was Peter Matthews. Its first owner and occupier was William H. Jarman, an accountant who lived there until 1910.

Archbishop Mannix bought the property for the Catholic Church (date as yet unknown) and named it Myra House.  In January 1945 Myra House was opened and transformed into a home for young girls aged between 14-18 and run ‘voluntarily’ by the Legion of Mary.  

At the opening of Myra House in January 1945, Archbishop Mannix stated that girls trained by the Legion of Mary at Myra House 'would be able to face the world with every confidence'.

In 1952 the home was taken over by the Jesuits and renamed Belloc House. Here the Institute of Social Order continued its work which was involved principally to teach Catholic social principles. Scholars lived and studied there. Bob Santamaria (1915-1998) was a key name at Belloc House.

 In 1991 Preshil, the Margaret Lyttle Memorial School purchased Belloc House from the Catholic Church and gave it its original name ‘Kalimna’. At Blackhall /Kalimna is Preshil’s Senior School.

Libby Shade and Felicity Renowden

Preshil Archivists