Ireland Ammi and Martina Burke appeal criminal contempt finding at Court of Appeal
Ammi and Martina Burke, sister and mother of jailed schoolteacher Enoch Burke, appeared at the Court of Appeal on 17 April 2026 to appeal a High Court decision finding them guilty of criminal contempt of court for their behaviour at a February hearing. Judge Senan Allen reserved a date in July for the hearing of the appeal.
- Reportednot reported
- Arrested1 Apr
- Chargednot reported
- In court31 Mar
2 reports - Verdictnot reported
- Sentenced26 Mar
4 reports
Key facts
consolidated from all reports60 statements extracted from the articles
- whatMartina and Ammi Burke were arrested by gardaí at Castlerea Prison, Co Roscommon, as they attempted to visit Enoch Burke (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe Burkes were removed from the Whitefield Bible College gathering by PSNI after they interrupted proceedings (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe two women had to be removed from court by gardaí (irishmirror.ie)
- whatThe judge said Ammi Burke knows the rules of conduct in court (irishmirror.ie)
- whatThe women persisted in standing up and shouting at the top of their voices simultaneously. (dublinlive.ie)
- whatThe judge called Ammi Burke's conduct a deliberate and brazen contempt of court that was disgraceful and indefensible. (dublinlive.ie)
- whatAmmi and Martina Burke are appealing a High Court decision finding them guilty of criminal contempt of court. (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe appeal is grounded in an alleged lack of impartiality on the part of the judge. (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe women contended they were not provided with a digital audio recording of the February hearing. (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe school suspended and later dismissed Burke over his conduct towards then-principal Niamh McShane at a school religious event in June 2022. (irishtimes.com)
- whatBurke, an evangelical Christian, maintained the request went against his religious beliefs. (irishtimes.com)
- whereMartina and Sean Burke have 10 children and live just outside Castlebar, Co Mayo, where they run Burke Christian School in a barn-type property. (irishtimes.com)
- whereThe Burkes were arrested at Castlerea Prison, Co Roscommon. (irishmirror.ie)
- whereThe Commissioner was attending the annual conference of the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors in Westport. (irishmirror.ie)
- whereThe women were arrested outside Castlerea Prison at around 3.30pm. (irishmirror.ie)
- whereThe Burkes were committed to the Dochas Centre in Dublin (irishmirror.ie)
- whereThe pair were taken to the Dochas Centre in Dublin. (dublinlive.ie)
- whenThey were detained on Tuesday afternoon at Castlerea Prison (irishtimes.com)
- whenA judge ordered their arrest on 4 March 2026. (irishmirror.ie)
- whenThe contemptuous behaviour occurred at a court sitting on 20 February 2026. (irishmirror.ie)
- whenThe Commissioner made his comments at approximately 3pm on 1 April 2026. (irishmirror.ie)
- whenThe warrants were executed at 3.30pm. (irishmirror.ie)
- whenThey were arrested on Tuesday 1 April 2026 (irishmirror.ie)
- whenThey had been at large since a judge ordered their arrest on 4 March. (dublinlive.ie)
- whenThe court sitting where the contempt occurred was on 20 February 2026. (dublinlive.ie)
- investigationTwo days after the High Court order, a team of gardaí went to the Burke home but could not locate the women. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationGardaí are liaising with the Police Service of Northern Ireland in their search for the Burke women. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationGardaí had been trying to find the two women by gathering intelligence and watching locations they are linked to, including their family home just outside Castlebar, Co Mayo (irishtimes.com)
- investigationTwo days after the warrant was issued, a Garda team went to the Burke family home but could not find the women (irishtimes.com)
- investigationPrison officers contacted gardaí who arrested the pair at the jail (irishmirror.ie, dublinlive.ie)
- courtWarrants for their arrest and committal were issued by the High Court almost a month before their arrest (irishtimes.com)
- courtThe contempt finding related to behaviour at a High Court hearing on 20 February 2026 (irishmirror.ie)
- courtJudge Senan Allen reserved a date in July for the hearing of the appeal. (irishtimes.com)
- courtIn May 2023, Judge Alexander Owens ruled that the school validly suspended Burke from his teaching position. (irishtimes.com)
- sentenceThe judge imposed a two-week prison sentence as a sanction for their contempt. (irishtimes.com)
- sentenceThey were due to be committed to prison for a two-week sentence (irishtimes.com)
- sentenceThe judge ordered the Garda to arrest the women for committal to prison to serve a two-week sentence as a sanction for their contempt (irishtimes.com)
- sentenceMr Justice Brian Cregan ordered the two women to be jailed for two weeks each. (irishmirror.ie)
- sentenceMr Justice Brian Cregan ordered two weeks in jail for each woman (irishmirror.ie)
- sentenceThey are to serve two weeks' detention. (dublinlive.ie)
- sentenceJudge Brian Cregan ordered the two women jailed for two weeks each. (dublinlive.ie)
- sentenceBoth women served a two-week jail sentence in April 2026. (irishtimes.com)
- sentenceBurke has spent more than 600 days in separate spells in jail. (irishtimes.com)
- otherThe Burkes were removed from the Whitefield Bible College gathering by PSNI after interrupting proceedings. (irishtimes.com)
- otherSome children attending the Burke Christian School for lessons had their appointments cancelled. (irishtimes.com)
- otherEnoch Burke has spent 600 days in prison according to a social media post shared by his account. (irishtimes.com)
- otherThere are 219 prisoners in the Dochas Centre at Mountjoy Prison, which has a capacity of 146. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherThe Burkes will be sleeping on mattresses placed on the floor. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherThey were arrested after attempting to visit Enoch Burke at Castlerea Prison. (irishmirror.ie, dublinlive.ie)
- otherThere are 5,889 prisoners in jails across the country, with capacity at 125 per cent. (irishmirror.ie, dublinlive.ie)
- otherThe judge described their behaviour as a paradigmatic case of contempt of court. (irishmirror.ie, dublinlive.ie)
- otherThe two women had to be removed from the court by gardaí. (irishmirror.ie, dublinlive.ie)
- otherThe judge said Ammi Burke's conduct was a deliberate and brazen contempt of court that was disgraceful and indefensible. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherGarda Commissioner Justin Kelly said he was confident the warrants for the Burkes' committal to prison would be executed. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherThe women had been free for four weeks after the warrants were issued. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherThe Dochas Centre is at over 150% capacity (irishmirror.ie)
- otherThere are 5,889 prisoners in jails across the country at 125% capacity (irishmirror.ie)
- otherAmmi Burke is a solicitor (irishmirror.ie, dublinlive.ie)
- otherThey were kept in a committal cell overnight before a medical assessment. (dublinlive.ie)
- otherThe prison is operating at over 150 per cent capacity. (dublinlive.ie)
The reporting
newest first- 17 Apr2026Ammi and Martina Burke appeal decision finding them guilty of criminal contempt of court
First article on Ammi and Martina Burke's appeal of their criminal contempt finding. They served a two-week jail sentence in April 2026 after Judge Brian Cregan found them guilty. The appeal is grounded in alleged lack of impartiality and fair procedures, including non-provision of a digital audio recording. The underlying case concerns Enoch Burke's dismissal from Wilson's Hospital School over a student's preferred pronouns.
convicted, Ammi Burke, female, named, irish (judged from name)Ammi Burkeconvicted, Martina Burke, female, named, irish (judged from name)Martina Burke - 2 Apr2026Jailed Martina and Ammi Burke to be medically assessed
Reports that the pair were taken to Dochas Centre on 1 April 2026 after being arrested at Castlerea Prison, are to be medically assessed before joining the general population, and provides Judge Cregan's comments on their conduct at the February 20 hearing.
convicted, female, irish (judged from name)convicted, Ammi Burke, female, named, irish (judged from name)Ammi Burke - 2 Apr2026Jailed Martina and Ammi Burke to be medically assessed
Reports the practical committal of the Burkes to the Dochas Centre, their medical assessment, and notes the prison is at over 150% capacity with 5,889 prisoners nationally at 125% capacity.
convicted, female, irish (judged from name)convicted, Ammi Burke, female, named, irish (judged from name)Ammi Burke - 1 Apr2026Top garda was confident of Burke imprisonments minutes before arrests
Adds that the Commissioner publicly stated his confidence in the warrants being executed at approximately 3pm in Westport, Co Mayo, and that the arrests took place outside Castlerea Prison at around 3.30pm the same day, after the women had been free for four weeks following the issuance of the warrants.
convicted, female, irish (judged from name)convicted, Ammi Burke, female, named at arrest, irish (judged from name)Ammi Burke - 31 Mar2026Jailed mother and daughter Martina and Ammi Burke set to sleep on floor tonight
Confirms the Burkes were arrested at Castlerea Prison on 31 March 2026 and brought to the Dochas Centre, where they will sleep on the floor due to overcrowding (219 prisoners in a 146-capacity facility). Provides the judge's full reasoning and quotes from the contempt finding.
convicted, Martina Burke, female, named, irish (judged from name)Martina Burkeconvicted, Ammi Burke, female, named, irish (judged from name)Ammi Burke - 31 Mar2026Martina and Ammi Burke arrested at Castlerea Prison over contempt ruling
Reports the arrest of Martina and Ammi Burke at Castlerea Prison on 31 March 2026, their committal for a two-week sentence, details of the High Court contempt finding by Judge Brian Cregan on 4 March 2026, and their earlier appearance at a Whitefield Bible College opening in Tandragee, Co Armagh, where they were removed by PSNI.
convicted, Martina Burke, female, named, irish (judged from name)Martina Burkeconvicted, Ammi Burke, female, named, irish (judged from name)Ammi Burke - 26 Mar2026Gardaí play waiting game for Martina and Ammi Burke with no sign of mother and daughter in Castlebar
Reports that three weeks after the High Court contempt conviction, gardaí have not yet located or arrested the Burke women, describing the Garda's approach as a 'waiting game' and noting the family's continued presence in Castlebar and a visit to Northern Ireland.
convicted, Martina Burke, female, named, irish (judged from name)Martina Burkeconvicted, Ammi Burke, female, named, irish (judged from name)Ammi Burke