The drama unfolded for a second time on Wednesday night when four members of An Garda Siochana approached the family property in Castlebar, Co Mayo
Gardai speak to Sean Burke at the Burke family home in Co. Mayo on Wednesday evening.
Drama unfolded at the home of sacked school teacher Enoch Burke after gardai were sent packing for a second time after they sought to execute a High Court-issued committal warrant for his arrest.
The warrant, authorised earlier this week, directed officers to detain Mr Burke for alleged ongoing non-compliance with a court order.
The drama unfolded for a second time on Wednesday night when four members of An Garda Siochana approached the family property in Castlebar, Co Mayo and made enquiries to a family member – Enoch’s dad Sean – regarding Enoch’s whereabouts.
Earlier on Wednesday, three officers arrived at the home in a bid to execute the committal warrant but were forced to leave after a female remonstrated with them and did not say where he was.
A message posted on Enoch’s X account on Wednesday evening stated “Gardai arrived at the Burke family home for a second time to arrest teacher Enoch Burke. Enoch Burke was told by Principal Niamh McShane ‘it is expected of you’ to use the ‘they’ pronoun for a child. He refused.”
It was accompanied by a video in which Sean Burke remonstrated with the four gardai who had arrived on Wednesday evening in a van and asked for Mr Burke.
“Enoch is entitled to his religious belief. It’s really shameful that you are here. He has a constitutional right, we all have, to profess and practice our beliefs. That’s been denied my son. And that’s why you are here really,” Sean Burke told the gardai.
One of Enoch’s brothers remonstrates with gardai as they leave the property. 
Isaac, mother Martina, Enoch Burke and sister Ammi Burke arriving at the High Court(Image: Collins Courts / CC)
An officer responded saying “We are here under the instructions of the High Court. That’s why we are here. Because there is an order of committal for Enoch. That’s the reason, from the High Court Chief Justice.”
Sean Burke responded: “A judge that refuses to honour our constitution. And that refuses to acknowledge the core issue that my son was commanded to call a boy a girl. He was commanded. That is the root of this matter, to use a ‘they’ pronoun for a boy which as a Christian he couldn’t do. He has a Christian belief. That judge refuses to acknowledge what it’s about.
“This is going on for three years and we are back again now to the same thing, a refusal to acknowledge that he was commanded to do something that was against his religious belief and that’s what it’s about,” Sean Burke said.
An officer then asked: “Do you know where he is?” to which Sean Burke replied: “That’s all I have to say about it. He is entitled to his Christian belief. He is entitled to his constitutional right. And that should be for everybody.”
The officer then said: “I am just asking the question, if you know where he is could you let us know,” to which Sean Burke replied: “I’ve said all I am going to say to you,” before the officer said “Ok, thanks very much,” before the four officers walked back to the garda van.
Others in the household were then heard saying to the officers: “Four men, no crime to deal with in Castlebar? No drugs or anything like that. This is private property you are on, just to remind the four of you there,” before Sean Burke and one of his sons walked the gardai to their van.
With no further cooperation forthcoming, Gardaí were left with little option but to withdraw from the property and temporarily abandon efforts to carry out the arrest.
The incident marks the latest escalation in a long-running legal standoff between Burke and the courts, and it remains unclear when or how authorities will next attempt to enforce the warrant.
On Tuesday, a judge ruled that Enoch Burke is to be committed to prison for a fourth time for contempt of court by continually turning up at his former school at Wilson’s Hospital School in Westmeath.
The teacher has previously spent three separate periods totalling 513 days in jail and has been fined €225,000 for contempt. None of the fines were willingly paid and he has repeatedly refused to comply with court orders.
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