The High Court today heard that a judge will decide next week whether teacher Enoch Burke will be returned to prison for contempt of court. Mr Justice Brian Cregan said that it was his hope that he would have a decision on the matter next Tuesday.
Mr Burke was not present in court today, nor were any members of the Burke family. Justice Cregan said that Enoch Burke was aware that the matter was listed for today, adding, “If he chooses not to turn up, that is his choice and I will simply proceed.”
Rosemary Mallon BL, for the school board, said that the principal had written to say Mr Burke arrived at Wilson’s Hospital School on Wednesday morning.
There was no doubt that Mr Burke was aware that today’s hearing was to take place, the court heard.
The teacher was “choosing not to be here,” the judge added, pointing out that he had already made substantive submissions.
Mr Burke and three members of his family are also facing potential contempt of court proceedings over their behaviour at a hearing last week, which the judge pointed out could result in fines or imprisonment.
The court also heard that the former German and History teacher at Wilson’s Hospital School in Westmeath continues to be paid by the Department of Education pending the outcome of a disciplinary appeal, after a hearing was postponed earlier this month. The problem the school faces, the court heard, is that the disciplinary appeals process has been postponed. The court also heard that the ongoing situation is negatively impacting upon the school and its students,
Counsel for the school outlined the events that had taken place over the last three years, which have included Mr Burke spending more than 500 days in Mountjoy prison. He is already facing an application by the school to have him sent back to prison again for contempt of court by turning up at the school every day in breach of court orders.
Counsel for the school told the judge that “there seems to be nothing that will convince [Mr Burke] to stop” turning up at the school. The High Court heard that the ‘extraordinary step’ had been taken to place security at the school on 13th October 2025.
The school, the court heard, has had to engage new security services at increased cost after a number of workers said they were not willing to take on the job “due to the issue of online abuse.”
Counsel admitted to feeling “like a broken record at this stage” as the events of the last three years were relayed in court. It was argued that the school “just wants to be a school” and that they want Mr Burke to stay out of the school and obey the court order.
It was also said that Mr Burke “does not believe” that the order to stay away from the school applies to him simply because he doesn’t agree with it. The High Court heard that the teacher “persists almost daily” to flout or try to flout the order, and that he does not believe that the rule of law applies to him.
Counsel for Wilson’s insisted that the school “don’t want Mr Burke locked up” nor do they want to see cars belonging to him or to his family seized or sold, adding: “We just want Mr Burke to stop attending the school.”
It was relayed that the boarding school is now in the “extraordinary situation where we now have a security guard with a high vis jacket and a bodycam,” and that this is the first thing teachers and students see when they turn up at school.
So far, Mr Burke has been fined in excess of €200,000 in relation to the dispute, which stemmed from incidents relating to a request in 2022 from the school’s then-principal to address a student by a new name and pronoun.
The evangelical Christian from Castlebar has persistently argued that the direction given to him was in breach of his right to express his religious beliefs. None of the action, including the emptying of his bank account to pay fines, have stopped him from showing up at the school gates.
Mr Justice Cregan said on Wednesday that he will be invoking contempt of court jurisdiction in respect of Dr Isaac Burke, Martina Burke, Ammi Burke and Enoch Burke because of their behaviour at last week’s hearing, during which they were removed from the High Court after they made heated comments regarding the judge.
Enoch Burke last week accused the court of being “in open revolt against the Court of Appeal” and that it had “instructed” the Board of Managers of the school “what to write”.
Counsel further said today there will be orders sought sequestering a Hyundai and a Nissan car which were used to drive Burke family members into school. In addition, an order for payment of a €15,000 fine for trespass imposed by the High Court when it definitively found his actions were unlawful will be sought, as well an order preventing further filming by the Burkes on the school and to remove material which has been posted to social media.
There was silence from the Burkes on social media today. Last week, Mr Burke posted a video of a stand-off with a security guard outside the school, writing: “Security guards block teacher Enoch Burke from attending his school this week after he refused to endorse transgender ideology and call a child “they.”
“Enoch Burke has had his salary robbed, his bank account emptied and has spent over 500 days in prison.”
The post added that Mr Burke was “being blocked from his place of work because he will not deny his Christian belief, trample on the Christian ethos of the school and endorse transgenderism.” His brother Josiah said he was proud of his brother for “refusing to be bullied.”
The matter is back before the court on Tuesday.