THE evening of Monday 19th November saw representatives of Clan McKenna attend at the Embassy of Chile in Ireland on Wellington Road in Dublin’s Ballsbridge to attend the designation of ‘Sala Juan MacKenna’ — the Juan MacKenna cultural exhibition room named in honour of the Monaghan-born military officer and hero of the Chilean War of Independence. The event hosted by current Chilean Ambassador to Ireland Cristián Streeter was also attended by representatives of the McKenna family of Swann’s Cross, who are direct descendants of General Don Juan, as he is more familiarly known.
Born John McKenna (1771-1814) in Willville House beside Monaghan town, Juan was the son of William McKenna and Eleanora O’Reilly of Longford. Having spent a number of years in Spain where he trained at the Royal Military Academy he then went to Chile where he joined with Bernardo O’Higgins in achieving independence in 1810. Together they are also known as the Co-Liberators of…
