Enoch Burke arrives at Westmeath school following release from prison 

Enoch Burke is prevented on arrival from entering Wilson's Hospital School in Co Westmeath after being released from prison on Wednesday. Picture: Brian Lawless/PA Wire

Enoch Burke arrived outside Wilson's Hospital School in Co Westmeath on Thursday morning after being released from prison on Wednesday. 

A High Court judge said on Wednesday that Mr Burke should be released from Mountjoy Prison to prepare for a case launched against an appeals body due to review his dismissal from the school.

The judge said the decision was being made on the basis that he would not attend the school and he would be brought back to prison if he did.

Mr Burke rejected the reasons given by the judge for his release when he appeared before the court via videolink.

As he walked out of Mountjoy Prison on Wednesday, Mr Burke repeated comments he made in court rejecting the judge’s reasoning for releasing him.

“This is a travesty now today,” he said upon his release as he criticised what he called a delay in the administration of justice.

“He (the judge) knows well where I will be tomorrow.”

Speaking outside the school gates, Mr Burke said he had a "duty" to attend and that he has "a job here". 

This morning the High Court was told Enoch Burke had returned to the school. 

Rosemary Mallon BL, for the school, asked Mr Justice Brian Cregan, who released Mr Burke from prison for permission to mention the case again this afternoon when she will present an affidavit outlining what had happened this morning.

She said he had returned to the school this morning and passed the gates. "There is a security man there and there is another problem as there were quite a number of protesters who also passed into the school premises", she said.

The judge said he had been reflecting on the matter overnight and it appeared the school might have to bring a fresh motion to attach and commit Mr Burke to prison again.

He said he would hear this afternoon an application by Ms Mallon for short service of that motion along with the update on what happened today.

Mr Burke has been in jail since late November for breaches of a court order directing him not to trespass at Wilson’s Hospital School, where he worked as a teacher.

Last week, he sought a temporary injunction against a disciplinary appeals body tasked with reviewing his dismissal from the school.

Before the High Court on Wednesday, Mr Justice Brian Cregan said Mr Burke had raised “substantive” and “credible” issues in papers prepared against the Disciplinary Appeals Panel (DAP).

The judge said he was directing that Mr Burke be released from prison for “one reason and one reason only”, in the interest of the administration of justice and so that he has time to prepare for his case against the DAP.

He said his release was on the condition that Mr Burke does not trespass on the school’s property, and if he does, he directed that the school come to the High Court the next day and he will have “no hesitation” in imprisoning him.

Mr Burke indicated to the court several times that he would attend Wilson’s Hospital School when released.

“If I am released from this court today, I will be at my workplace tomorrow,” he said.

“If I am released from prison, my duty is to be at my workplace.”

Enoch Burke speaks to the media as he prevented on arrival from entering Wilson's Hospital School. Picture: Brian Lawless/PA Wire

The court maintained Mr Burke should be released, but said the case would be put in for mention on Thursday to deal with whether Mr Burke attends the school.

Mr Burke then accused the court of an “outstanding U-turn” and of hypocrisy by choosing to release him from prison.

Mr Cregan said: “Mr Burke, your ability to shoot yourself in the foot is unparalleled, in my experience.”

The board of management of the Co Westmeath school and Mr Burke have been entangled in a legal dispute stemming from incidents over a request in 2022 from the school’s then-principal to address a student by a new name and pronoun.

Mr Burke, an Evangelical Christian who taught German and history at the school, has repeatedly argued the direction was unconstitutional and went against his right to express his religious beliefs.

The school has been granted injunctive relief, restraining him from attending the school, however he continued to attend in breach of the order.

He has been fined 225,000 euro and imprisoned for 550 days, a figure cited by Mr Burke, for attending the school in breach of the court order.

Mr Burke carried a bag of his belongings when he was released from prison.

After addressing the media briefly, he departed in a taxi with a family member.