The family of a controversial Irish teacher who was jailed for allegedly refusing address a male student by ‘they’ disrupted a gala dinner in DC last night that was attended by the Taoiseach.
Three members of the Burke family were intercepted by security personnel and police as they entered the floor of the Ireland Funds dinner at the National Building Museum.
Martina Burke, whose son Enoch Burke was suspended from his job as a teacher in County Westmeath, and two of her 10 children – Ammi and Isaac – shouted loudly as they were pulled back through curtains surrounding the main dining space during a speech by the head coach of the Washington Commanders NFL team Dan Quinn.
Chaotic scenes ensued as law enforcement officers grappled with them and forcibly removed the trio from the premises. Martina and her children shouted criticism of Irish premier Micheal Martin as they were hauled out of the building.
Earlier in the evening, the same family members stood outside the building, accompanied by Enoch’s father Sean, holding placards highlighting their campaign.
The evangelical Christian family have been involved in protests and legal disputes in Ireland arising out of the suspension of Enoch Burke from his job as a teacher at Wilson’s Hospital School in County Westmeath.
Enoch was imprisoned for contempt of court for defying a High Court injunction banning him from the school.
The dispute stemmed from incidents over a request from the school’s then-principal to address a student by a new name and the pronoun ‘they’. Enoch said he ‘opposed transgenderism’ due to his Christian beliefs.
He has since argued his suspension was unlawful and went against his right to express his religious beliefs.
Three members of the Burke family were intercepted by security personnel and police as they entered the floor of the Ireland Funds dinner at the National Building Museum. Pictured is Issac Burke being dragged away by security
Ammi Burke is ejected from the Ireland Funds 33rd National Gala dinner at the National Building Museum in Washington DC
Members of Enoch Burke’s family picket the Ireland funds dinner in Washington DC where the Taoiseach Micheal Martin spoke last night
The family entered the gala venue around 15 minutes after Mr Martin had concluded his own speech at the event, which is a key fixture in the Irish American calendar in the US capital ahead of St Patrick’s Day.
Quinn, who was making a speech after being honoured with an award by the Ireland Funds philanthropic organisation, tried to make light of the disruption, joking that the incident was like being at a game of the Commanders’ divisional rivals the Philadelphia Eagles.
After they were later ejected from the event, the family members continued to articulate criticism of Mr Martin and Ireland’s deputy premier Simon Harris as they stood on the pavement outside the building surrounded by members of the media delegation that accompanied the Taoiseach to Washington.
‘The Irish people live in fear, teachers are afraid to go to schools,’ said Martina.
‘Every single child is taught LGBTQ+, bisexual, transgender as fact, it’s a sad day. It’s a sad day for Ireland. We need President Trump to know the truth but Micheal Martin is fooling them.’
Martina repeatedly said she did not want to speak to the Irish media, accusing them of working for the Irish government and the judiciary.
‘The Government and the judiciary are all working together, silencing the people. We are slaves in Ireland. You’re fake journalists – you have no right to be here.’
Issac added: ‘Enoch Burke was in prison for 513 days.’
Ammi claimed: ‘Micheal Martin is stripping Enoch Burke of his salary.’
At one point, police officers moved the family away from the entrance to the building and asked them to stand further along the pavement.
Martina Burke and her children shouted loudly as they were pulled back through curtains surrounding the main dining space
Issac Burke ejected from the Ireland Funds 33th National Gala dinner at the National Building Museum in Washington DC
The family’s visit to DC comes just days after ‘First Buddy’ Elon Musk shared a post on social media showing Burke family outside court in the long-running saga over Enoch’s sacking.
The Irish Sun reports Musk, wrote ‘wow’ as he shared a post reading: ‘Enoch Burke, a Christian schoolteacher in Ireland, will be STRIPPED of his salary after refusing to use they/them pronouns for a ‘transgender’ student.’
Sean, the patriarch of the Burke family, was recently released from Mountjoy Prison after 45 days where he was serving a sentence for assaulting a female garda.
The father-of-10, who is in his 60s, was found guilty of ‘flinging Garda Victoria Fisher to the ground’ during his son’s hearing at the Court of Appeal on 7 March 2023.
During the proceedings 18 months ago, the judge decided to maintain a court order from Wilson’s Hospital School stating Enoch must stay away from their premises.
The History teacher had repeatedly tried to gain access to the building following his suspension – after he refused to use a transitioning student’s preferred ‘they/them’ pronouns and was later accused of gross misconduct for exposing the headteacher’s ‘demand’ during a school assembly.
After his wife was removed from the courtroom for shouting at the judge, Sean said he grew concerned for Martina – and claims to have accidentally knocked over the garda while trying to get to her.
However, Judge Ronan Munro did not accept the incident was an accident after the court heard Sean ‘flung’ Victoria Fisher to the ground ‘like a red rag to a bull’.
Enoch Burke is pictured leaving the the Court of Appeal in Dublin on March 7, 2023
In a statement posted on X, Sean Burke said: ‘When we think of the high levels of crime, drugs that are out of control, that the Gardai will have spent days and days and days since the 7th March 2023 pursuing the Burke family, trying to get a conviction against us’
Pictured: Enoch Burke’s father Sean leaves Mountjoy prison after serving 45 days of his two month sentence
The judge sentenced Sean to two months in Mountjoy prison, where his son has spent over 400 days in captivity during his various sentences.
Last week, Sean was released from prison after only 45 days – prompting his family to post his statement, which was filmed outside Mountjoy’s gates, on X.
The father-of-10 said: ‘It’s sad really that this could happen in our country.
‘When we think of the high levels of crime, drugs that are out of control, that the Gardai will have spent days and days and days since the 7th March 2023 pursuing the Burke family, trying to get a conviction against us.’
Accusing Judge Ronan Monro of being ‘biased’, Sean continued: ‘We are Christians. Prison sentences don’t change that – what we stand for and what we believe in. The teachings of Christianity […]
‘All of this started because three judges on the Court of Appeal decided to come out on the 7th March 2023 and say that my son’s case was not about transgenderism. That’s how bad it is.’
Recounting the events of his son’s Court of Appeal hearing, Sean claimed his family were ‘dragged out of the courtroom’.
He continued: ‘We were abused. My family. A disgraceful activity, a shambolic activity of the Gardai.
Wilson’s Hospital School in County Westmeath, Ireland. The former teacher took issue with the former headteacher asking staff to refer to a transgender student by their new name and pronouns
‘And instead of the Gardai going back and deciding what they did wrong and putting their situation right, they pursued the Burke family to get a conviction. And they’re still doing that to this day.
‘And what’s happening at the moment with Enoch Burke, he’s still being pursued by the state and abused by the state with imprisonment, with fines – to get him to move from his Christian belief.’
Last month, Enoch Burke returned to protest at Wilson’s Hospital School following his release from prison and claimed he was ‘welcomed’ by pupils.
Enoch, who has amassed over €193,000 in fines for refusing to comply with the High Court order to stay away from the school, was released from prison for a third time on 20 December 2024.
In an attempt to deter Enoch from returning to Wilson’s Hospital School, the judge doubled the daily fine from €700 to €1,400.
However, this didn’t stop the teacher, who is still receiving his full salary while he appeals his sacking, from turning up at the school on the first day of term this week.
Enoch Burke’s sister Ammi is pictured in 2023 being forcible removed from the Court of Appeal
Simeon Burke, brother of schoolteacher Enoch, is carried out of the Court of Appeal by gardaí, on 7 March 2023
Although the temperature dropped below zero at points, Enoch stood outside his former place of employment for the duration of its teaching hours on their official day back of the new year.
Speaking to the Irish Daily Mirror, Enoch claimed students had shown their support for him by waving from their classrooms.
He said: ‘I should be in a classroom today, in a heated classroom doing the job I love and teaching the children I love.
‘There’s only one reason I was pushed out into the cold and it’s because I said I would not accept transgenderism.’
However, the teacher is adamant that he is not ‘protesting’ but merely ‘reporting for work’.
