Veteran McEniff relishing return to the sidelines with Louth

BRIAN McENIFF enjoyed a long a fruitful managerial career with Donegal, Sligo, Ulster and Ireland before stepping back into a well-earned retirement but the 1992 All-Ireland winning coach has returned to the sidelines in recent weeks with Louth.

McEniff has been helping Louth manager Peter Fitzpatrick in an advisory capacity and will have no doubt been thrilled by the Wee county’s shock defeat of Kildare in Saturday’s Leinster clash.

“I have been giving them a hand for the last month ever since they beat Longford in the first round,’’ he said. “I go up once a week. It is not that much out of the way as I fit it in either on my way to Dublin or on the way home from Dublin,” he told the Democrat/Peoples Press.

“It all came about the weekend they stayed in Holyrood (Bundoran) about three months ago. They asked me that time to get involved with them but I declined.

“However, I promised them if they got over Longford in the first round I would give them a hand. So, when they beat Longford, Peter Fitzpatrick gave me a call and I have been attending their sessions once a week ever since.”

Little was expected of Louth at the start of the summer but the defeats of Longford and Kildare have left them facing Westmeath in a provincial semi-final.

Win that and they will have reached their first senior decider since 1960.

McEniff knows first-hand what such historic achievements can do for a county and he is thoroughly enjoying his unexpected dip back into the inter-county scene with Fitzpatrick and his management team.

“I must say I am enjoying it,’’ he said. “They are a good bunch of lads and are willing to learn and want to do well. As for Saturday night they played well, though I do suspect that Kildare took them a little lightly and got caught.

“But on the night Louth were the better team and deserved to win and they are now through to the Leinster semi-final and who knows after that.”