The Burke family in Co Mayo has claimed that An Post's LGBT branding is "offensive."

A statement regarding the matter was posted on Saturday, August 17 to the X profile of Enoch Burke, who was in prison for more than 400 days over the past two years after breaching an injunction ordering him to stay away from the Co Westmeath school where he was placed on administrative leave pending disciplinary proceedings.

The statement was accompanied by a video of Enoch's brother Josiah and their mother Martina, who is the principal of The Burke Christian School where "the Word of God as contained in the Holy Scriptures is central to the learning process." 

BREAKING: An Post threatens to cease postal delivery to Burke home due to our objection to LGBT campaign

In early June our post began to be delivered to our home in a large post van which was wrapped in LGBT colours. The van has the Irish word “Bród” (“Pride”) prominently… pic.twitter.com/OytGFBIa37

— Enoch Burke (@EnochBurke) August 17, 2024

“In early June, our post began to be delivered to our home in a large post van which was wrapped in LGBT colours," the statement said.

“The van has the Irish word ‘Bród’ (‘Pride’) prominently displayed on it, accompanied by the words ‘Delivering with pride.’"

An Post unveiled its Bród stamps in June 2021 after working "closely with representatives of the LGBTQ+ community." The Irish postal service said that year that for every purchase from its Bród collection, it donated 2.5% of the sale to charities BeLonG To and LGBT Ireland and raised a total of €33,600. An Post continues to sell Bród merchandise today.

Earlier this year, Harris Maxus Ireland said it delivered 75 eDeliver 3s to An Post, some of which featured the Bród branding.

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The statement on Saturday said that Seán Burke, Martina's husband and father to the ten Burke siblings, spoke to their postman "and conveyed that the LGBT promotional branding was offensive to him."

The statement said the Burke family received a legal letter from Paul Crampsie, Operations Manager for An Post, on July 26 informing them that for the following two weeks, the family could collect their mail at a postal depot "almost five miles from our home."

The  An Post letter, the family said, further said that a post box must be installed at the entrance to their property on the side of the road within two weeks, or postal service would be withdrawn. 

“My father received this letter shortly after he addressed the postman on this issue," the statement said. "There was no contact or consultation with ourselves from An Post in the intervening period."

Seán Burke responded to the letter, "refuting the false allegations contained within it and restating that the ‘Bród’ branding was not inclusive but offensive."

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The family, who said on Saturday that their postal service has since resumed, continued: “The letter received from Paul Crampsie is monstrous. What it meant is that because we objected to a public body, An Post, forcing an LGBT campaign onto our property, we would be treated like second class citizens, or worse. We would be required to pick up our post like a criminal in some depot miles away, and if we did not comply with the sanctions imposed we simply would not receive our post. 

“We found this letter deeply disturbing. 

“We remember from history in other places in times gone by where people were treated like second class citizens when they refused to bow down to what the government was forcing upon them. 

“The treatment of Enoch Burke, and this letter from An Post, shows that this treatment is no longer history. It is today. This sinister letter is the true face of the ‘inclusiveness’ of the LGBT movement.

“We have written to Paul Crampsie to request an explanation for the shocking actions of An Post in regards to this matter.”

Responding to the Burke family's statement on X, David McRedmond, CEO of An Post, said: “‘Bród’ is the word that comes to mind when I think of AnPost’s brilliant employees: postmen/women, sorting staff, management, union colleagues, working together to get parcels to you wherever you live, and whenever. 

“I could not be prouder than to lead this company.”

“Bród”is the word that comes to mind when I think of AnPost’s brilliant employees: postmen/women, sorting staff, management, union colleagues, working together to get parcels to you wherever you live, and whenever. I could not be prouder than to lead this company. @Postvox

— David McRedmond (@DavidMcredmond) August 18, 2024

Related: LGBT