Enoch Burke's mother and sister arrested during visit to Castlerea Prison

The High Court ordered almost four weeks ago that the pair be jailed for two weeks after finding them in contempt of court

Enoch Burke's mother Martina and sister Ammi, who were arrested when they went to visit the jailed teacher at Castlerea Prison.

Mother and daughter Martina and Ammi Burke were arrested when they went to visit Enoch Burke at Castlerea Prison on Tuesday.

The High Court ordered almost four weeks ago that the mother and sister of teacher Mr Burke be jailed for two weeks after finding them in contempt of court.

The two were not at the hearing when Mr Justice Brian Cregan delivered his judgment.

The contempt of court charge was in relation to a hearing on February 20, during which both women were removed from court by eight to 10 gardaí.

Mr Cregan said the hearing “descended into chaos” when they interrupted proceedings and “persisted in standing up in court and shouting”.

Defending her actions, Martina Burke told the court her son Enoch had been “denied his constitutional rights”, while Ammi Burke said she “won’t sit silently by while my brother’s constitutional rights are being denied”.

The judge said “it is clear” the Burke family “believe that they are above the law”.

In a statement, gardaí said: “An Garda Síochána executed a High Court order against two females in Castlerea, Co Roscommon this afternoon, Tuesday March 31 2026.

“They will be brought to Mountjoy Women’s Prison on foot of the Order of Committal."

Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly said that he was confident that warrants to arrest the Burkes would be executed a short time before their arrest on Tuesday.

Justin Kelly was speaking to the media at the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI) conference in Westport, Co Mayo, when he was asked if the Burkes being free undermined the work of gardaí and confidence in the force.

He replied: “I absolutely don’t think so. I am confident that they will be executed - absolutely confident.

“It is not a thing that we would ever put a time frame on. There are warrants for people for a whole variety of things."