About Brian McEniff
Born 1942. Brian McEniff is an Irish gaelic football player and coach.
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.
Other ventures Involved in Gaelic games administration in County Donegal, McEniff also spent time as Donegal's GAA Central Council delegate. 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. Even though his father was a strong Fine Gael supporter, his mother was a supporter of Fianna Fáil.
He was appointed to the board of Ireland West Airport in 2002.
As of 2022, McEniff remained chairman of the CLG Réalt na Mara club.
Personal life McEniff is married to Catherine "Cautie" O'Leary, a native of Cork whom he met in Canada and married her there.
A pianist, he had a heart attack in late 2021.
Honours
Player Ulster Senior Football Championship: 1972, In May 2012, the Irish Independent named him in its selection of Donegal's "greatest team" spanning the previous 50 years. In 2017, the Gaelic Players Association (GPA) chose McEniff and Kilkenny hurler Eddie Keher as its recipients of lifetime achievement awards. In January 2018, McEniff was inducted into the Donegal Sports Star Awards' Hall of Fame, with Donegal Sports Star Awards chairman Neil Martin quoted as saying: "As a committee we were unanimous when the name of Brian McEniff was proposed for 2017 Hall of Fame". On 19 April 2018, McEniff was presented with an All-Ireland Lifetime Achievement Award at the All-Ireland Business Summit. In February 2019, McEniff was honoured with a gala dinner at the Mount Errigal Hotel, attended by GAA president John Horan. In May 2020, the Belfast Telegraph named him as one of the "inspirational quartet" who would feature on Ulster GAA's Mount Rushmore. GAA Writers' Hall of Fame Award, received in May 2022, alongside Len Gaynor, who received the equivalent in hurling
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Important facts
People in Brian McEniff's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Brian McEniff's
Frequently asked questions
Who is Brian McEniff?
Irish Gaelic football player and manager
When was Brian McEniff born?
Brian McEniff was born on 1 December 1942 in Bundoran.
What is Brian McEniff's occupation?
Brian McEniff is a gaelic football player and coach.
What nationality is Brian McEniff?
Brian McEniff is Irish.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Brian McEniff. https://biography.guide/brian-mceniff/
MLA: "Brian McEniff." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/brian-mceniff/.
Chicago: "Brian McEniff." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/brian-mceniff/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
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