Kenny's performances at club level earned him a place on the senior Mayo county team. He was a member of the record-breaking Mayo team that won six consecutive National Football League titles from 1934 until 1939. Kenny also won an All-Ireland winners' medal in 1936.
Political career
His entry into politics was unusual in the sense that neither he nor his family were steeped in politics at the time. In spite of this he was elected to Dáil Éireann at his first attempt, at the 1954 general election, as a Fine GaelTeachta Dála (TD) for the Mayo South constituency.[2] The election saw Fine Gael enter government as the lead party in the country's second inter-party government. Kenny, as a new TD, remained on the backbenches; however, he was subsequently elected to Mayo County Council.
Kenny retained his seat at the 1957 general election; however, Fine Gael lost power as Fianna Fáil began sixteen years of uninterrupted government. During that time he retained his Dáil seat at every general election, moving to the Mayo West constituency in 1969. That same year he was appointed Fine Gael spokesperson on the Board of Works, a position he held until 1972. The results of the 1973 general election saw Fine Gael and the Labour Party form a coalition government. Kenny was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance where he had responsibility for the Board of Works.
Death and private life
Two years after being appointed to the government, Kenny was diagnosed with cancer. He died on 25 September 1975. He married Eithne McGinley in 1944 and they had five children. His son, Enda Kenny, was elected to the Dáil at the by-election in 1975.[3][4] Another son, also Henry Kenny, was a member of Mayo County Council from 1999 to 2019.[5] His widow Eithne Kenny died at the age of 93 in Castlebar on 26 November 2011.[6][7]
