Career
MacKenna taught for a number of years before working as a producer at RTÉ Radio in 1980. Between then and 2002, when he left the station to spend more time writing, and acting with Meeting Lane Theatre Company, he worked in a number of areas - including music, education, current affairs, documentaries, features and religion - as a senior producer and commissioning editors MacKenna writes for, directs and acts with Mend and Makedo Theatre Company and his most recent works for that company are "Breathless" (2005 & 2010 - Directed by Petra Costigan-Oorthuijs and Richard Ball ).
"My Father"s Life" (2006).
"We Once Sang LIke Other Men (2009). "Redemption Song (2011 Both directed by Marian Brophy).
His theatrical work, "Who by Fire", for the Water to Wine Theatre Company is based on the experiences of a Holocaust survivor, and uses Leonard Cohen"s songs the mood for a chilling exposition of the continuing threat of totalitarianism. lieutenant has toured Ireland to great popular acclaim.
In 2008 his play "Corner Boys" (Directed by Marian Brophy) toured the country and "The River Field" was published by New Island Books.
His novel "The Space Between Us" was published in 2009 by New Island Books. His poetry collection Where Sadness Begins was published by Salmon Books in 2012
His novel, Clare, based on the life of the English poet John Clare was republished in May 2014 in the New Island Modern Irish Classics series, to coincide with the 150th anniversary of the poet"s death. His poetry collection Where Sadness Begins was published by Salmon Books in 2012
In 2014 he was short-listed for the position of Irish Fiction Laureate and in the same year his novel Joseph was published by New Island Books.
In 2015 his poetry collection By the Light of Four Moons was published by Doire Press.
Also in 2015, his play Lucinda Sly was staged Mend & Makedo Theatre Company and toured nationally. He also teaches a number of courses in media studies and creative writing at the NUIM Maynooth and Kilkenny.
