Kenny, Tomás Brendan (1883-1940), physician and surgeon, was born on 23 July 1883 in Salto, the fourth child of Juan José Kenny (1854-1922) and Elena Gahan (1853-1935). His grandfather James Kenny (1798-1857) settled in Argentina in the 1830s and married Honoria (1811-1904), daughter of John Murray and Margaret Egan.

Tomás Brendan Kenny studied in the school of medicine at the University of Buenos Aires, and graduated in 1909 in surgery. He worked in the British and San Roque hospitals, and 1925 was appointed head of surgery at the Alvarez hospital. In 1917 he published his thesis dissertation Diagnóstico de los tumores de los huesos largos. In 1938 Dr. Kenny was appointed professor in the school of medicine. Kenny also practised at the Alejandro Gutiérrez hospital of Venado Tuerto. A horse lover and keen polo player, Tomás B. Kenny was founding member of the Venado Tuerto rural society, and president of the Venado Tuerto Athletic Polo club.

In 1909 Tomás B. Kenny married Margarita Emilia (b.1886), daughter of John James Murphy and Ellen Roche. The local airport at Venado Tuerto bears his name since 1973.

José Brendan Wallace

References

- Coghlan, Eduardo A., Los Irlandeses en la Argentina: Su Actuación y Descendencia (Buenos Aires, 1987), p. 551.

- Wallace, José Brendan, Dr. Tomás Brendan Kenny Gahan: A 120 años de su natalicio in "Irlandeses" (www.irlandeses.com.ar), accessed 15 March 2004.