09/08/2026
Irish Teacher Enoch Burke Released From Prison β Again
Enoch Burke, the Irish teacher jailed for over 700 days total since 2022, has been released from prison once more. Burke was suspended and later dismissed from Wilson's Hospital School in Co. Westmeath after refusing, on religious grounds, to address a student by a different name and pronouns following the student's gender transition. He was later found in repeated contempt of court for defying orders to stay off school property.
In releasing him, the judge cited a "material change in circumstances" β Burke's dismissal had been upheld and his salary halted β but also pushed back on Burke's claim that he's imprisoned for his views, saying he's "not entitled to his own truth" and that the legal basis has always been trespass, not belief.
Supporters see Burke as a Christian standing firm on conscience despite steep personal cost. Critics, including the courts, view his actions as defiance of legal authority rather than principled witness. Burke has said he plans to return to the school, setting up further potential legal action.