McEnaney first took up refereeing when he was 21 years of age, after damaging his left knee while playing association football for Carrick Rovers. Páraic Duffy, a figure within Monaghan refereeing back then, invited McEnaney to officiate at some matches "because I could run in straight lines!", McEnaney later said. Finding that he enjoyed it, McEnaney kept going and progressed up the ranks. McEnaney refereed the 1996 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final between Mayo and Meath and even by his own admission "became famous for all the wrong reasons". This was due to a mass brawl between both teams on the pitch. McEnaney sought to punish those he deemed the worst offenders. He decided he would send off Mayo's Liam McHale and Meath's John McDermott. "When it all settled down my gut instinct was to send off McDermott with McHale. I had my mind made up on that", McEnaney later said. Then he consulted with umpire Francie McMahon, who had witnessed something dreadful. "Pat," he said. "You're going to have to send off Colm Coyle. He's after dropping about six of them". One of the linesmen, Kevin Walsh, intervened to also highlight Coyle's indiscretions. McEnaney sent off McHale and Coyle. McHale has never claimed not to have been involved in the brawl that day; indeed, he is on record as saying: "I was right in the middle right from the start". Coyle had arrived later. Inaccurate stories spread afterwards that McEnaney had received hate mail at his home, but, McEnaney later said, the only letter he received praised McEnaney for how he had handled the brawl. McHale and McEnaney had not spoken, as of 2009. McEnaney's father died that November. His efforts at overcoming the events of 1996 were rewarded when he was given the task of refereeing the 2000 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final between Galway and Kerry. He was a lot happier with how that game went. McEnaney also refereed the 2004 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final, which incidentally also involved Mayo. After refereeing one All-Ireland final, he went to Crossmaglen to officiate "at a tournament game, I think". The announcer informed the large crowd gathered: "We would like to welcome referee Pat McEnaney who refereed last Sunday's All-Ireland". McEnaney received a round of applause :"I couldn't believe it. That was my one and only time". He also refereed the first test of the 2006 International Rules Series at Pearse Stadium in Galway. He referred games outside Ireland, including in Paris, Luxembourg, New York, San Francisco and Australia. He trained every second night during his refereeing career. McEnaney retired at the conclusion of the 2010 championship. He plays squash.
