Private Mark Keenan
Mark Keenan was born on 18 April 1897 at Armoy, Ballycastle, County Antrim, the sixth of nine children of labourer Patrick Keenan and his wife Bessie (née Stewart). By the time of the 1911 Census he was living at Turnarobert, Armoy, with his parents, siblings and a grandfather. He later worked as a flax scutcher
Keenan enlisted in the North Irish Horse at Ballymoney on 3 October 1918, reporting for duty at Antrim soon after. He was issued Corps of Hussars number 72174. His service with the regiment was marked by a number of disciplinary offences through January to March 1919 - all involving his being absent without leave.
On 6 April 1919 Keenan was discharged in order that he re-enlist in the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (No.31071). He was posted to the 1st Battalion and sent to Stirling, Scotland, and then to Maryhill. Further offences followed through July to October – for being absent, drunk in barracks, untidy on guard parade and unshaven in the cookhouse. He was also found to have weak eyesight, making him unfit for foreign service.
On 7 November 1919 he was discharged, being 'surplus to military requirements, not having suffered impairment since entry into the service' (paragraph 392xxv(a), King's Regulations). His military character was recorded as 'fair'.
Following his discharge Keenan returned to Armoy, He died there on 18 February 1986.
At least one of Keenan's brothers, John, also served in the war, in the Royal Munster Fusiliers and the Royal Irish Regiment. He was reported to be suffering from shellshock in July 1916.