[5] In 1985, McEniff was featured in an edition of Today Tonight entitled "Law and Order in Donegal".
[9] The Dublin branch of McEniff's hotel chain was picketed by protesters in 2013, after he made comments about Irish Travellers.
[10][11][12] In 2009, he backed a controversial proposal by the Mayor of Donegal to erect a memorial to Louis Mountbatten and the victims of the bombing at Mullaghmore.
[13] In 2016, McEniff issued a public statement through his solicitors in which he denied using his political influence to prevent Gardaí investigating the disappearance of Mary Boyle from questioning a suspect.
[4][15] He had been in an induced coma after collapsing into water whilst on holiday in Puerto Rico de Gran Canaria in October 2016.