Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly says there is evidence that post-match celebrations have helped to spread Covid-19.
The Minister appeared on RTE's Morning Ireland this morning and was quizzed on whether Cavan's high incidence rate of the virus was related to club GAA celebrations.
Fianna Fail TD Donnelly explained that celebrations related to sport had led to the spread of Covid but didn't single out Gaelic games in particular.
He said: "I don’t want to pick out any individual sporting organisation, but we do have evidence from the testing teams that post-match celebrations that shouldn’t have happened in some cases did help spread the virus.
“What the Chief Medical Officer and NPHET would say is really what’s important is the virus is at a point now where it’s spreading in an awful lot of different ways.
“It is spreading in workplaces, it is spreading after sporting events and it is spreading a lot of the time with alcohol when people congregate and get together.
“And, it’s spreading between households and in households, and it's a combination of all of those reasons which requires us moving to Level 5.”
Galway village Moycullen was at the centre of a super-spreader event where players partied after a county championship win, resulting in the spread of coronavirus.
Exclusive images obtained by the Irish Mirror showed fans and players drinking in a packed parish pub following an historic football win last Sunday week.
The club confirmed that members of its winning senior team tested positive for the virus.
Councillor and Moycullen resident Alastair McKinstry told RTE Drivetime: “I’ve heard numbers of up to 50 or so were infected.
“It almost certainly has gone beyond the GAA players, there’s fear within the school in particular cases.”
The GAA suspended club activity over Covid concerns after social distancing guidelines were ignored during celebrations sparked by some county title wins.
Inter-county action resumed last week and with the All-Ireland senior inter-county Championships set to begin amid Level 5 restrictions, it is hoped that celebrations can take place without distancing rules being broken.
