The Minister for Sport Catherine Martin has blasted the "disturbing" scenes before the FAI Cup final which saw a Dublin pub targeted by bottles and fireworks.
Hours before the football event, clips outside the Irishtown House showed fireworks, bottles and glasses being thrown by a group of supporters.
The pub was being used as a pre-game venue for supporters of St Patrick's Athletics, with many families and young children in attendance at a barbecue.
Speaking to this publication on Sunday night, Minister Martin said: “There were very disturbing scenes around the playing of the FAI Cup final.
“These are unacceptable for communities and fans who want to celebrate a great sporting moment.”
A member of staff at the Irishtown House pub described how the incident destroyed a great atmosphere among fans and innocent families who were simply enjoying a day out before the 4pm kick-off.
“I’m just glad that most of the Pats fans didn’t retaliate. It could have been a lot worse if they had,” he said.
The staff member described how people were outside the premises enjoying food and drinks ahead of the match when the thugs dressed in black arrived and began their “orchestrated” attack.
“They (the thugs) came in throwing bottles. It was a very poor show. It was just a gang of thugs at the end of the day, but it was orchestrated.
“They came to cause trouble.”
He also insisted that those involved in the attack couldn’t be called fans - and that they were nothing more than thugs.
“I wouldn’t say they were Bohs fans. They were just thugs out looking for trouble. They were all wearing black.
“Before that happened there was a good atmosphere, a barbeque was going on and there were kids with their families there.
“The next thing these lads came in throwing flares and bottles on top of people.
“It’s shocking and it puts a stale taste on the whole thing,” he said.
