“I never sought to use political influence in Mary Boyle case” – Mc Eniff

The politician at the centre of allegations that he used political influence to prevent a continuing garda questioning of the main suspect for the disappearance of Mary Boyle today denied any involvement.
Sean McEniff, Ireland’s longest-serving politician, said in a statement through his solicitors that he “emphatically and unconditionally denies that he was the politician who allegedly contacted the Gardai in Ballyshannon at the time of the disappearance of Mary Boyle.
The statement from the Fianna Fail politician who has served on local councils for 55 years, including Bundoran town council and Donegal County Council, added that he has no knowledge of such a call other than what he has heard recently on what was contained in the video ‘Mary Boyle, The Untold Story’.
Mr. Mc Eniff says he is satisfied that the two former Gardai interviewed as part of the video have recently clarified that at the time of the disappearance or in the investigation that followed neither were aware of any such alleged phonecall and that there was no impediment from their superiors in the investigation as a result.
The solicitors said the statement was being issued at Mr McEniff’s request, “in relation to the rumour and innuendo surrounding a Youtube video published recently on the internet ‘Mary Boyle, The Untold Story’.
Mr McEniff said the disappearance of Mary Boyle has been a tragedy for the Boyle family and they are deeply affected by it. Gardai have conducted detailed and extensive investigations which are continuing and should be co-operated with by all concerned.
The statement said that Mr McEniff supported the call for a Commission of Investigation to be established to investigate all aspects of the disappearance of Mary Boyle.
It added that he had taken legal advice in relation to the defamatory comments made both directly and by innuendo and will take such steps as are necessary to protect his reputation.
The statement concludes that Cllr Mc Eniff will not be making any further public statement, and the matter will be dealt with through his solicitors.
Although Mr McEniff wasn’t named on the video, there has been widespread speculation in south Donegal that he was the politician it claimed made a call to a senior garda which resulted in the main suspect not being arrested in six-year-old Mary’s disappearance near her grandparents home at Cashelard, Ballyshannon, 39 years ago.
A Garda “Cold Case” team is due in Ballyshannon soon to investigate the tragedy.