John McKenna, who died recently, was the founder and doyen of Irish clinical psychology. Born in Glasgow of Enniskillen parents, he was a unique mixture of Scottish and Irish: of Scottish in his speech and mode of address, of Irish in his feelings that in coming to Ireland he was coming to his own country.
After being awarded an honours degree in History at Glasgow University followed by a post-graduate degree in Psychology, he went to L'Universite de Montreal where he was awarded a doctorate summa cum laude. His clinical training in Montreal was under the great Father Noel Mailloux OP, one of a group of French-Canadian Dominicans who were Thomist in philosophy and Freudian in their clinical understanding. John brought this powerful if unusual combination to Dublin when he became clinical psychologist to the new St John of God Child Guidance Clinic at Rathgar in 1955. With his colleagues John Stack, child psychiatrist at Rathgar, and Desmond McGrath, psychiatrist at the St John of God Hospital in Stillorgan, he was a leader in the reconstitution of their services which the St John of God Brothers had undertaken under their Provincial, Eugene Quilligan. To these men, and to Irene Mullaney, the psychiatric social worker, Ireland owes an immense debt.
The availability for teaching of these professionals enabled E. F. O'Doherty, professor of Logic and Psychology at University College Dublin, to undertake a project he long had in mind: the establishing of a university course in professional psychology. The postgraduate Diploma in Psychology began in 1958 with a carefully-chosen group of mature students who already held a university qualification and had worked in teaching, in medicine, in industry. It was an especial joy to John that among these founding students was his wife Anne, herself born in Scotland of Donegal parents. John and Anne had some 50 years of exceptionally happy married life, which was a partnership of work as well as of family.
John was a member of the Commission on Mental Handicap which laid the foundations for the services to mentally handicapped children of which Ireland can today be proud. One must mention here Jack Darby, secretary to the Commission and as dedicated a civil servant as ever existed, and indeed the civil servants in the Department of Health generally, who took the enlightened decision to encourage voluntary as well as public services to the mentally handicapped.
John was a clinical psychologist of international standing and he was frequently engaged as consultant by the World Health Organisation and UNESCO. He began to teach in the College of Surgeons and was appointed to the foundation Professorship of Psychology in that College. The appreciation of his expertise by his medical colleagues was shown in his frequent appearances as expert witness in the High Court, where his manifest professionalism made a marked impact.
In private life he painted and wrote poetry. He developed an enthusiasm for racing and loved to go to the Curragh, dressed and equipped as a visit to the Curragh requires, and afterwards to entertain his friends to a meal prepared and presided over by his beloved wife.
Nothing pleased him more than that his only son, Peter, chose a career in medicine and was appointed to the Mater Hospital. He was especially proud when Peter became Master of the Rotunda Hospital, an institution whose long history he appreciated.
John was unswerving in his religious and political beliefs and in loyalty to his friends. His patients, clients and students who had the benefit of experiencing his wisdom, judgment and good counsel will long remember him with affection and gratitude.
John and Anne lived side-by-side with Peter and his wife Viv, where he enjoyed their company and that of his four grandchildren for the last twelve years. To his wife Anne, to Peter and Viv and to the grandchildren we offer our sympathy. May he rest in peace. M.N