Enoch Burke was arrested on Tuesday, November 25, a week after a High Court judge ruled that he be jailed immediately for repeatedly breaching a court order to stay away from Wilson's Hospital School in Co Westmeath.
While An Garda Síochána "does not comment on named entities or individuals," a spokesperson for the Irish police force told IrishCentral on Tuesday: "An Garda Síochána executed a High Court order in Mullingar, Co. Westmeath this afternoon, Tuesday 25th November 2025."
Burke was reportedly transported to Dublin's Mountjoy Prison on Tuesday afternoon, marking his fourth stint in the facility. His previous three periods in Mountjoy totaled more than 500 days.
Burke is expected to remain in prison until he purges his contempt or until further order of the High Court.
Justice Brian Cregan ordered Burke's immediate arrest on Tuesday, November 18, following an application from Wilson's Hospital School, where the sacked schoolteacher continued to turn up at in breach of court orders directing him not to trespass on the school property.
In his ruling, Justice Cregan described Burke, who was not in court, as "a baleful and malign presence – an intruder, stalking the school, its teachers and its pupils."
He added that the level of Burke’s “aggression, unregulated anger and lack of self-control, combined with his strategy of confrontation, make him a potential danger to pupils and teachers of the school."
Justice Cregan said Burke's claims that he had been jailed for his opposition to transgender people were "completely false," stating: "He has been jailed because he has breached court orders directing him not to trespass on school property."
He added that Burke could still hold his beliefs and comply with the injunction to stay away from the school.
Burke had effectively been 'on the run' for a week following Justice Cregan's order last Tuesday.
However, in a video shared on his X account on Friday, a few days after the order was handed down, Burke again claimed that he was being sent "back to jail because I will not succumb to transgender ideology."
Enoch Burke's legal drama with Wilson's Hospital School began in 2022 when he was suspended on full pay as part of a disciplinary process after he allegedly confronted the school's then-principal Niamh McShane at a school dinner.
The confrontation came after McShane emailed all staff, requesting that they refer to a transgender student by their new name and preferred pronouns.
Burke, an Evangelical Christian, repeatedly objected to McShane's request.
McShane allegedly told Burke that she would be willing to speak to him about the issues, but added that the school dinner would not be an appropriate place to have the conversation.
However, Burke allegedly followed McShane and began shouting at her, prompting other people present at the dinner to stand between them to prevent Burke from continuing the confrontation.
The school obtained an injunction against Burke in August 2022 after he continued to attend the school despite being placed on administrative leave.
Burke was subsequently jailed that September for breaching a court order that prevented him from attending the school while a disciplinary process was carried out. He also refused to purge his contempt of court.
In January 2023, Burke was formally dismissed from his teaching position. His appeal against his dismissal is ongoing.
Burke has since spent several stints behind bars, totaling more than 500 days, for continuing to show up to Wilson's Hospital School in defiance of the court order. He has also racked up fines of more tha n €225,000.
He was last released from Mountjoy in December 2024 but began showing up to Wilson's Hospital School at the start of this year's term in September, still in contempt of the court order for him to stay away.
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