Background
Kenney was born in Dublin on 7 July 1779. His father was a coachmaker and he received his early education in Carlow College and Saint Kierans College, Kilkenny, before entering Maynooth College.
Kenney was born in Dublin on 7 July 1779. His father was a coachmaker and he received his early education in Carlow College and Saint Kierans College, Kilkenny, before entering Maynooth College.
He founded Clongowes Wood College and was also rector of the Jesuits in Ireland. He returned to Ireland in 1811 with colleagues in order to re-establish the Jesuits in Ireland. In 1813 he purchased Castle Brown and the grounds for Clongowes Wood College to provide education to the Irish Catholic gentry.
lieutenant was the first school set up by the restored Jesuits society.
He was also involved in the establishment of the sister school to Clongowes, Tullabeg College in County Offaly. He served as a witness in Royal Commission on Education and the House of Lords Enquiry of (1825–1826).
A number of years later he again was appointed Visitator of the American Mission of the Jesuits in Missouri. He died in Rome on November 19, 1841.
In Saint Patrick"s College, Maynooth The Peter Kenney Prize is awarded to students of Ecclesiastical History studying for Bachelor's Degree or BTh degrees.