Police investigate reported assault on archbishop after Enoch Burke incident

Police in Northern Ireland are investigating a reported assault on Church of Ireland Archbishop John McDowell following an incident in Armagh on Thursday, according to the Irish Examiner, the Irish Times, and thejournal.ie. A video posted on social media appears to show former teacher Enoch Burke confronting the Archbishop, who is the Primate of All Ireland, at St Patrick's Cathedral. [1][4][6]

The Irish Times reported that Archbishop McDowell accused Burke of assaulting him and stated he would co-operate with the Police Service of Northern Ireland investigation. The outlet said video posted by Burke's family appears to show him grabbing McDowell by the sleeves and blocking his path in the cathedral grounds. [4]

The confrontation stems from Burke's ongoing legal dispute following his dismissal from Wilson's Hospital School in County Westmeath, the Irish Examiner reported. As FTMQ News reported earlier, Burke faces fines totaling around 238,000 euros for contempt of court, with a judge recently ordering that he should only be arrested if he approaches the school premises. [1][5][18]

Burke's family members are fundamentalist evangelical Christians from Castlebar, County Mayo, who are known for legal cases and religious activism, according to Wikipedia. Burke has spent hundreds of days in prison for continually defying court orders to stay away from his former workplace. [4][13][16]