Teacher Enoch Burke will remain behind bars after declining to comply with a court order prohibiting him from trespassing at Wilson’s Hospital School.
Mr Burke appeared before the High Court via video link, where he was given a chance to purge his contempt of court — a step that would have enabled his release, reports RTE.
He has been involved in an ongoing legal conflict with the Co Westmeath school since 2022.
He was initially suspended following incidents linked to a request from the then-principal to refer to a student by a different name and pronoun, and was later dismissed from his role, reports RTE.
Mr Burke has consistently maintained that the directive was unconstitutional and infringed on his right to express his religious beliefs.
He has spent over 650 days in prison after being found in breach of court orders directing him not to trespass on school grounds, reports RTE.
Mr Burke addressed the court via video link, marking four years since the dispute first arose.
He said: “I shouldn’t be in prison, I should be in my classroom, I should be with my students, I shouldn’t be here,” reports RTE.
When asked by Mr Justice Brian Cregan whether he would return to the school if released, Mr Burke responded: “I have faithfully attended at my workplace for eight years, that is not trespassing,” reports RTE.
Mr Cregan told him: “You know perfectly well that you are in breach of a High Court order,
“It is clear, Mr Burke, you don’t want to purge your contempt,” reports RTE.
He added that Mr Burke could secure his release at any point if he agreed to stay away from the school.
“The school doesn’t want you in prison, the court doesn’t want you in prison,” he said, reports RTE.
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