Brian McEniff

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Brian McEniff
Personal information
Sport Gaelic football
Position Wing-back
Born (1942-12-01) 1 December 1942 (age 78)
Bundoran, County Donegal, Ireland
Occupation Hotelier[1][2]
Club(s)
Years Club
196?–197?
197?–19??
 St Joseph's
Réalt na Mara
Club titles
Donegal titles 8
Inter-county(ies)
Years County
19??–197?
 Donegal
Inter-county titles
Ulster titles 2
All Stars 1
Personal information
Born (1942-12-01) 1 December 1942 (age 78)
Bundoran, County Donegal, Ireland
Inter-county management
Years County
1972–1975
1976–1977
1980–1986
1989–1994
2003–2005 		Donegal
Donegal
Donegal
Donegal
Donegal
Inter-county titles
County League Province All-Ireland
Donegal 5 1

Brian McEniff (born 1 December 1942) is a former Gaelic football manager, administrator and player.

McEniff played as a wing-back for the St Joseph's combination of clubs from Bundoran and Ballyshannon. He won seven Donegal Senior Football Championships with them, and another one with Réalt na Mara when St Joseph's divided. He won two Ulster Senior Football Championships with the Donegal county team as player-manager in 1972 and 1974, and was awarded an All Star after the first of these, before being ousted. He returned to manage the county to a third Ulster SFC in 1983, then left again. He returned once more in 1989, leading the county to its fourth and fifth Ulster SFCs in 1990 and 1992, as well as the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship in the last of these. After becoming chairman of the County Board, McEniff was unable to find a manager so did the job himself for a final time, reaching the All-Ireland SFC semi-final in 2003.

McEniff managed his county during four successive decades, earning a reputation as the dean of Donegal football.[3] In July 1992, Hogan Stand described McEniff as "one of the most successful football gurus in modern-day GAA history" and he has been likened to a footballing Godfather-type figure.[4][5] Until 2011, he was directly involved in each of his county's Ulster Senior Football Championship and All-Ireland Senior Football Championship wins. That year, Jim McGuinness (whom McEniff had recommended for the under-21 managerial role the previous year) won the first of the post-McEniff Ulster SFCs. Declan Bonner, who won his first Ulster SFC as manager in 2018, also regards McEniff as a mentor. Both McGuinness and Bonner played under McEniff when McEniff was Donegal manager.

McEniff managed the Ulster provincial football team for many decades. He coached Ireland to victory over Australia in the 2001 International Rules Series, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground and Football Park in Adelaide in October that year.

Early life[]

McEniff was born in Bundoran, County Donegal.[citation needed]

His parents were Mr. John McEniff from Newbliss,[clarification needed] County Monaghan, and Elizabeth[clarification needed] Begley from Carrickmore, County Tyrone.[6] They were married in Bundoran in 1935.[citation needed] McEniff has three brothers: P. J. McEniff (retired dentist), Sean McEniff (Donegal County Councillor) and Liam McEniff (doctor), and one sister, Mary McGlynn (retired hotel accountant).[citation needed]

He spent much of his childhood in Carrickmore, where his mother's family had a farmhouse.[6]

He attended a boarding school in County Monaghan.[2]

Playing career[]

McEniff supported Tyrone against Louth in the 1957 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship semi-final, his first visit to Croke Park.[6]

After returning from Canada in the mid-1960s, McEniff took up an interest in playing the sport.[7]

His position was in defence as a wing-back.[1][7]

McEniff won numerous titles with the famous St Joseph's combination of Bundoran and Ballyshannon, both in Donegal and Ulster. He won Donegal Senior Football Championships with St Joseph's in 1965, 1968, 1970, 1973, 1974, 1975 and 1976.[7] He won his last County Senior Football Championship with Réalt na Mara in 1979,[7] which included the late Brendan McHugh and Seamus Reilly, both county representatives for Sligo, Mayo and Donegal.[citation needed] He captained St Joseph's to the 1968 Ulster Senior Club Football Championship final.[2]

He continued working to promote his club long into retirement.[8] He managed them as recently as 2013.[2][5]

McEniff was player-manager of the first Donegal team to win an Ulster Senior Football Championship title in 1972.[8][9][10] He received an All Star award in 1972.[9][8]

He was also player-manager of the 1974 Ulster SFC winning team.[9][10] He was wing-back in the final as Donegal defeated Down.[7]

Management career[]

In 1975, the Donegal County Board ousted McEniff as manager.[9][11]

In 1975, he assisted as a mentor the Sligo county team that won that county's second Connacht Senior Football Championship.[1][9] Upon being made aware that he would be taking charge of Sligo's training sessions, Barnes Murphy, the team captain, talked to McEniff.[12] Murphy brought McEniff to Croke Park for the 1975 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship semi-final against Kerry ("although some of our friends in Sligo weren't too happy about that", Murphy told The Irish Times in 2007).[12] McEniff, according to Murphy, could not provide advice to the team at half-time: "And I can tell you why, because they [Murphy had also brought along John "Tull" Dunne] were snubbed. They wanted to make a few changes, and I was wondering where these men where, to give us some advice".[12] Sligo were routed by The Kingdom, 3–13 to 0–5.[12]

"Brian was a colossus in Donegal football because he was forward thinking. He would have united the clubs in Donegal, who at that point would have been killing one another, even at county level players wouldn't pass. There was no rapport or bonding or anything like that, but Brian worked on that. He got the players together, he really was very skilled at man management, he brought the group together".

– Paul McGettigan on McEniff's managerial philosophy[13]

He later returned as Donegal manager, for the first time as a non-playing member of the team.[9] He was manager in 1977.[13] He was manager again by late 1982.[13] He led Donegal to a third Ulster SFC in 1983.[10] They narrowly lost to Galway in the 1983 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship semi-final.[7]

He left again.

He began to manage the Ulster provincial football team, with which he won 12 Railway Cup Finals.[9][8] He managed them for 23 years, until 2008.[14] He managed them from 1983 to 2007.[clarification needed] McEniff stood down from his position as Ulster manager in 2007, 25 years after taking the job in 1982.[clarification needed] He woon 14 titles.[15]

He helped Tyrone club Carrickmore, where his mother was from, when they were struggling against relegation in 1983 and 1986.[6]

McEniff returned as Donegal manager in 1989, succeeding Tom Conaghan.[16][17] He led the county to another Ulster SFC in 1990, restoring players that Conaghan had thrown by the wayside, such as Declan Bonner, Manus Boyle, Matt Gallagher, Barry McGowan and Sylvester Maguire.[17] McEniff's success in Gaelic games culminated when he led his native Donegal team to glory over Dublin at Croke Park in the 1992 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final.[18][19] It was shortly before this match that McEniff was informed that the brother of one of his players Joyce McMullan, had died from cancer.[19] He chose not to inform McMullan or anyone else on the team until after the match.[19] McEniff later described it as follows: "Everything had gone so smoothly but when I heard that I was knocked for six. Luckily, the lads were outside watching a bit of the minor match. I stamped up and down before deciding that Gerard would have wanted Joyce to play. When the team came back, they could see something was wrong with me, but I managed to hold it together".[19] It later emerged that there had been a miscommunication, and that McMullan's brother had not died.[19] He did so a year later.[19]

McEniff resigned on 26 June 1994 and was succeeded by P. J. McGowan the following month.[20]

McEniff managed Ireland for the International Rules Series of 2000 and 2001.[9] Ireland won 2001's first test, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on 12 October, by 59–53 and the second test, held at Football Park in Adelaide on 19 October, by 71–52.[21] McEniff departed as Ireland manager in 2001.[22]

"Brian never let any negative vibes creep under your door. When we won, it was what we expected. The word 'defeat' was never mentioned in our group".

– Declan Bonner on McEniff's managerial philosophy[23]

He soon returned for a last outing as Donegal manager. He was chairman of the Donegal County Board in late 2002 but could not find a manager, so he did it himself.[9] McGowan, and were part of his backroom team.[24] In 2003, he led Donegal to the All-Ireland SFC semi-final.[7] This was the last occasion on which they would achieve this feat until the time of the legendary Jim McGuinness. He left Donegal in 2005 after a fifth and final tenure in charge ended with a drab qualifier defeat to Cavan at Breffni Park.[25][26] During his final time as manager, McEniff called such players as Neil Gallagher, Rory Kavanagh, Karl Lacey and Eamon McGee into the senior county team for the first time in late 2003.[24]

McEniff was mentor to Nell McCafferty on the Celebrity Bainisteoir television programme in 2007.

In 2010 and 2011, McEniff assisted Louth manager Peter Fitzpatrick in an advisory capacity, during which time Louth reached the 2010 Leinster Senior Football Championship Final.[5][9][27][28] In November that year, it was widely reported that he would become one of Fitzpatrick's selectors for the following season, with both Highland Radio and Hogan Stand claiming he would replace the departing Martin McQuillan.[27][28][29] McEniff later denied this, though Louth County Board Chairman Padraic O'Connor said McEniff would be a "great capture" and would not be paid.[30]

He managed his local club in the 2013 Donegal Senior Football Championship, taking over from Joe Keeney after his resignation and filling the position in his 71st year.[31]

McEniff has guided both Jim McGuinness and Declan Bonner, his most noteworthy successors as Donegal manager, into management.[6][32][33][34]

Management style[]

Personal connections formed a critical part of McEniff's management style, so much so that when Declan Bonner brought his wife to Austria on their honeymoon McEniff maintained regular contact.[35]

Other ventures[]

Involved in Gaelic games administration in County Donegal, McEniff also spent time as Donegal's GAA Central Council delegate.[14] He served on national Gaelic games committees.[14] He has also been a referee.[36] He is Managing Director of the McEniff Hotel Group, which has a presence in such locations as Bundoran, Drumcondra, Sligo, Rosses Point and Westport, County Mayo.[37] Its portfolio includes the Holyrood Hotel (originally bought by his father John in 1951) and the Great Northern Hotel & Golf links (bought from CIÉ in 1977 by Brian and Sean McEniff and Brian's brother-in-law Michael Burke for £125,000).[citation needed] In 1969, McEniff bought the Hamilton Hotel which was next door to the Holyrood Hotel.[citation needed]

On 7 June 1979, McEniff was elected onto Donegal County Council[38] in lieu of his older brother Sean McEniff.[clarification needed] Even though his father was a strong Fine Gael supporter, his mother was a supporter of Fianna Fáil.[citation needed]

He was appointed to the board of Ireland West Airport in 2002.[37]

Personal life[]

McEniff is married to Cautie.[39]

Health[]

In later life McEniff developed a bad back. During his appearance on Up for the Match ahead of the 2012 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final, McEniff was visibly stiff, awkward and in some pain. One day after undergoing surgery on his back he attended the 2012 All Stars Awards in Dublin—at which All-Ireland Champions Donegal received eight places out of a possible fifteen on the All Stars Team of the Year and Karl Lacey was named All Stars Footballer of the Year—saying "I wouldn't miss this for the world."[40]

Honours[]

Player
Manager
Individual

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c "Mickey Kearins had magic in his boots". The Sligo Champion. 15 July 2015. Retrieved 15 July 2015. But when asked who was the greatest defender he played against, he unhesitatingly plumps for hotelier Brian McEniff who was a mentor to the Yeats County in 1975. 'He would not foul you but he could get his hand or foot in and could knock the ball away from you as we was also very fit'.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b c d Heaney, Paddy (25 November 2013). "The life of Brian". The Irish News. Retrieved 25 November 2013. 'All of the boys — except myself, I went to a boarding school in Monaghan — were from De La Salle'… The hotelier cites his own club…
  3. ^ Duggan, Keith (3 February 2003). "Meehan adds spark to Galway attack". The Irish Times. Brian McEniff, the dean of the Donegal game who yesterday returned to take charge of his county for the fourth successive decade, could but watch as Galway raced away in the first five minutes.
  4. ^ "Reid, Donal". Hogan Stand. 31 July 1992. Brian McEniff, soon to be installed as one of the most successful football gurus in modern-day GAA history.
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b c "Kerry GAA godfather Mick O'Dwyer won't disappear in retirement". Belfast Telegraph. 22 January 2014. Retrieved 22 January 2014. We expect to see him cropping up in some county as the Championship approaches, much like Brian McEniff suddenly appeared in Peter Fitzpatrick's Louth backroom team in 2010 when they were robbed of the Leinster Championship. Old Godfathers never really retire you see, they just become advisers. The lure of the game was too much for McEniff last year, who stepped in to become manager of his club Bundoran when they were faced with a crisis, digging out an old pair of trainers that he thought he might never wear again.
  6. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e Crowe, Dermot (26 May 2013). "History on both sides of divide". Sunday Independent. Retrieved 26 May 2013. McEniff was chairman of the appointments committee that brought McGuinness in as under-21 manager after he had been overlooked initially for the senior post.
  7. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q McNulty, Chris (15 September 2017). "Lifetime Achievement award for Brian McEniff". Retrieved 15 September 2017.
  8. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g "Brian McEniff still doing important jobs at Bundoran GAA Club". 1 October 2018. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
  9. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k l m Bogue, Declan (9 May 2020). "My inspirational quartet that make up Ulster GAA's Mount Rushmore". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
  10. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f Campbell, Peter (15 July 2008). "Donegal heroes of 1983". Donegal Democrat. Archived from the original on 18 December 2015. Retrieved 15 July 2008. The 24th of July 1983 was one of the better days for Donegal football. Their third Ulster final victory with Seamus Bonnar making history picking up his third medal. Later in the year Martin McHugh would become the county's third All-Star while Brian McEniff was manager for the third time also… There was also a good deal of experience with the aforementioned Seamus Bonnar involved in the 1972 and '74 wins…
  11. ^ Heaney, Paddy (27 August 2013). "Will Jim be back?". The Irish News. Retrieved 27 August 2013. So why was McEniff with Sligo in '75? the answer is simple. the Donegal County Board ousted him.
  12. ^ Jump up to: a b c d "Former Sligo captain sets the record straight". The Irish Times. 4 August 2007. Retrieved 4 August 2007.
  13. ^ Jump up to: a b c O'Connell, Cian (19 July 2017). "Paul McGettigan served Donegal and Galway". Retrieved 19 July 2017. 'Brian McEniff then asked me to come back towards the end of 1982, the beginning of 1983 with Donegal. He was also open to new ideas, he was involved in the '72 Donegal team which incidentally was the first Donegal team to win an Ulster. He was player-manager in 1974 in my first year and he was manager the year I was shafted [1977], but had nothing to do with Brian McEniff'… 'I went to Galway, a very, very good Donegal team was broken up'. Donegal didn't truly recover until the early 1980s again according to McGettigan. 'They didn't recover until Brian went back in 1983 as manager again'.
  14. ^ Jump up to: a b c d Campbell, John (25 August 2011). "Boost for Donegal as McEniff is inducted into Hall Of Fame". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 25 August 2011.
  15. ^ Campbell, John (30 October 2007). "McEniff is still the best for Ulster". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 4 August 2009.
  16. ^ Bonner, Declan (23 April 2020). "You need that glimmer of hope". Donegal News. p. 55.
  17. ^ Jump up to: a b c McNulty, Chris (18 July 2015). "Donegal's 1990 Ulster winners will be honoured tomorrow — here is their story". Retrieved 18 July 2015.
  18. ^ Campbell, John (27 August 2011). "All-Ireland: Brian McEniff helps Donegal to shine". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 27 August 2011.
  19. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g Foley, Alan (8 January 2009). "The heroes of '92 — Where are they now?". Donegal Democrat. Archived from the original on 18 December 2015. Retrieved 8 January 2009.
  20. ^ Sharkey, Conor (19 July 2019). "The way we were: 25 years ago – July 20, 1994: McGowan new Donegal manager". Donegal News. Forty-two-year-old PJ McGowan from Ballybofey has been appointed manager… He succeeds Brian McEniff who resigned from the post on June 26 and will be in charge of the team for three years.
  21. ^ Jump up to: a b "Australia v Ireland 2001". Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 6 October 2014.
  22. ^ Jump up to: a b "Ireland take series with emphatic win". RTÉ Sport. 19 October 2001. Brian McEniff ended his tenure as Ireland manager with a comprehensive 71–52 victory over Australia to take the International Rules series at Adelaide's Football Park this afternoon.
  23. ^ McNulty, Chris (20 July 2018). "Declan Bonner yearning for repeat of the long-term rewards from the golden age". Retrieved 20 July 2018.
  24. ^ Jump up to: a b Keys, Colm (5 November 2003). "Royals' seal of approval puts pressure on Boylan". Irish Independent. Retrieved 5 November 2003.
  25. ^ "Two final meetings that shaped strands of history". Donegal Democrat. 29 October 2012. Retrieved 29 October 2012.
  26. ^ "McEniff resigns as Donegal manager". RTÉ Sport. 5 July 2005. Retrieved 5 July 2005.
  27. ^ Jump up to: a b "Brian McEniff takes up role as Louth selector". Highland Radio. 4 November 2011. Retrieved 4 November 2011.
  28. ^ Jump up to: a b "McEniff takes up Louth selector role". Hogan Stand. 4 November 2011. Retrieved 4 November 2011.
  29. ^ Hickey, Paddy (4 November 2011). "Massive lift for Louth as McEniff strengthens links". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 4 November 2011.
  30. ^ "McEniff not full time selector". The Argus. 23 November 2011. Retrieved 23 November 2011.
  31. ^ "McEniff to manage Bundoran seniors in Championship". Donegal News. 31 May 2013. Retrieved 31 May 2013.
  32. ^ "'I believe Jim McGuinness will stay with Donegal' — McEniff". 1 October 2014. Retrieved 1 October 2014. The man who guided Jim McGuinness into county management…
  33. ^ Boyle, Donnchadh (1 October 2014). "'Unfinished business' could sway Donegal decision for McGuinness". Irish Independent. Retrieved 1 October 2014. McEniff… has known McGuinness since he was a teenager… 'I took him in as a 19-year-old, and when the then-county chairman asked me to appoint an U-21 manager, I appointed Jim. So I have a great interest in Jim… There is a suggestion that I made, but Jim is not keen on, that some of the senior players… should take the first part of the year off and come the spring, they will have the appetite… Jim's not like that, but I recommended that to him'.
  34. ^ McNulty, Chris (22 September 2017). "Declan Bonner: It'll be 'all or nothing' for Donegal's 'half mad' new manager". Retrieved 22 September 2017. On the day of his 32nd birthday, on August 11, 1997, a flu-ridden Declan Bonner sat nervously in Jackson's Hotel, Ballybofey… McEniff… remains a close mentor of the Lettermacaward man.
  35. ^ McNulty, Chris (22 September 2017). "Declan Bonner: It'll be 'all or nothing' for Donegal's 'half mad' new manager". Retrieved 22 September 2017. McEniff… remains a close mentor of the Lettermacaward man… The personal touch was always important to McEniff… 'In the days long before mobiles Brian was always on the phone. He was always ringing the house to make sure this was done or that was done.
  36. ^ Tunney, Paddy (24 October 2006). "Mc Larnon Cup 1978–79". Archived from the original on 24 October 2006. On the first Saturday in December we travelled to Fr Tierney Park to take on De La Salle, Ballyshannon. It had snowed and in very treacherous conditions we recorded our third win with 0–3 to 0–2 score line. Brian McEniff was the referee that day.
  37. ^ Jump up to: a b Gibney, Orla (4 January 2007). "New Appointments to Board of Ireland West Airport Knock". Retrieved 4 January 2007.
  38. ^ http://electionsireland.com/election.php?elecid=169&constitid=132
  39. ^ McNulty, Chris (20 July 2018). "Declan Bonner yearning for repeat of the long-term rewards from the golden age". Retrieved 20 July 2018. As McEniff left his Bundoran home before the All-Ireland final of '92 his wife, Cautie, wondered how her husband would react if Donegal lost. 'Don't be stupid, woman', McEniff barked.
  40. ^ "An All-Star night to remember for Donegal". Donegal Democrat. 27 October 2012. Retrieved 27 October 2012.
  41. ^ Maguire, Stephen (25 August 2011). "Brian McEniff joins GAA Hall of Fame". Retrieved 25 August 2011.
  42. ^ "GAA: Donegal's greatest team of the past 50 years named". 14 May 2012. Retrieved 14 May 2012.
  43. ^ "Lifetime achievement award for Brian McEniff". Donegal News. 12 August 2017. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
  44. ^ McLaughlin, Rachel (23 April 2018). "Entrepreneurs bring Business All-Stars home to the hills". Retrieved 23 April 2018.
Achievements
Preceded by
Pete McGrath 		All-Ireland-winning football manager
1992 		Succeeded by
Eamonn Coleman
Sporting positions
Preceded by
? 		Donegal Senior Football Manager
1972–1975 		Succeeded by
John Hannigan
Preceded by
John Hannigan 		Donegal Senior Football Manager
1976–1977 		Succeeded by
Sean O'Donnell
Preceded by
Sean O'Donnell 		Donegal Senior Football Manager
1980–1986 		Succeeded by
Tom Conaghan
Preceded by
Tom Conaghan 		Donegal Senior Football Manager
1989–1994 		Succeeded by
P. J. McGowan
Preceded by
Mickey Moran 		Donegal Senior Football Manager
2003–2005 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
? 		Ulster Senior Football Manager
1983–2007 		Succeeded by
Joe Kernan
Retrieved from ""