Dublin — A teacher, Enoch Burke, returned to Wilson’s Hospital School on Thursday, just one day after a High Court order secured his release from Mountjoy Prison. The unexpected move prompted a swift response from the school, alerting the court to his presence on the premises.
Teacher Returns to School After Prison Release
The move came after a judge ordered Burke’s release to prepare a legal challenge against his dismissal.
- Enoch Burke was released from Mountjoy Prison on Wednesday, January 14, 2026, following a High Court order.
- He immediately returned to Wilson’s Hospital School, despite a court order prohibiting him from being on the school grounds.
- The school has informed the High Court and may seek to re-imprison Burke.
- Burke had been jailed for breaching a court order related to his dismissal from the school.
What prompted Enoch Burke’s initial imprisonment? Burke was incarcerated in late November 2025 for repeatedly trespassing at Wilson’s Hospital School in County Westmeath, violating a court order. He had been dismissed from his teaching position at the school.
Speaking to journalists, supporters, and protesters gathered outside the school on Thursday morning, Burke stated, “I’m coming here to do a day’s work, that’s what I’ve always done. I should never have been in prison in the first place, this is my workplace, this is where I teach.”
Shortly after Burke entered the school grounds, barrister Rosemary Mallon, representing the school, informed the High Court. She requested permission to address the court again on Thursday afternoon, intending to present an affidavit detailing the events. Mallon noted the presence of a security guard and a number of protesters who had also entered the school premises.
Justice Brian Cregan, who had ordered Burke’s release on Wednesday to allow him to prepare his case against the Disciplinary Appeals Panel (DAP) reviewing his dismissal, indicated the school might need to seek a new motion to commit Burke to prison. He scheduled a hearing for Thursday afternoon to consider an application for expedited service of such a motion.
Prior to his release, Justice Cregan had emphasized that the decision to release Burke was contingent on his agreement not to attend the school. Burke rejected the judge’s reasoning upon his release from Mountjoy Prison on Wednesday.
At the school gates on Thursday, Burke launched a scathing critique of the Irish judicial system and media, accusing “judges in this country” of “telling lies.” He described his case as an “insult from beginning to end” to the “institutions of our State” and a “disgrace.”
Burke explained that his legal challenge stemmed from his inability to address a student using the pronoun “they,” which he characterized as “anti-Christian” and “nonsense.”
Additional reporting by PA.
