Enoch Burke owes €208,000 in fines from school dispute, court rules

Teacher Enoch Burke owes more than €208,000 in fines stemming from his persistent breach of High Court orders that banned him from his former workplace, Wilson's Hospital School.

Judge Brian Cregan's recent judgment detailed the outstanding fines, which have accumulated over a four-year dispute. The court initially banned Burke from the school in May 2023 after it successfully argued he had validly suspended him from his teaching post. Throughout the legal proceedings, various judges imposed daily fines on Burke for each day he trespassed on school grounds.

The total fines imposed reached €273,200, with Burke having paid approximately €64,931. This payment was not voluntary; court orders led to a receiver being appointed over his salary, and over €40,000 was seized from his bank account. The outstanding amount now stands at €208,268.

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paid a very heavy price

Burke's dismissal from the school followed a confrontation with then-principal Niamh McShane at a school event in June 2022. The incident arose after McShane directed teachers to address a student using "they" and "them" pronouns, a request Burke, an evangelical Christian, stated conflicted with his religious beliefs. His continued trespassing after suspension led to the school seeking court orders, which he has repeatedly violated, resulting in over 700 days spent in prison across multiple spells.

Despite his refusal to promise he would not trespass, Burke was recently released from prison due to a "material change" in circumstances, including the refusal of his appeal against dismissal. Judge Cregan expressed concerns about the proportionality of the fines relative to Burke's income but noted Burke's lack of cooperation in disclosing his assets prevented a reduction assessment. The judge remarked that Burke has "paid a very heavy price" and has "wasted 700 days of his life in prison, his financial position has been undermined and his reputation as a teacher damaged."

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has been imprisoned for over 700 days; he has been fined over €273,000 (of which he has paid almost €65,000); he is also facing the enormous legal costs of the school (which I am told run into many hundreds of thousands of euro); and he is facing a disciplinary hearing before the Teaching Council. In short, he has wasted 700 days of his life in prison, his financial position has been undermined and his reputation as a teacher damaged