Phil Hogan has resigned as the EU's trade commissioner, after being accused of breaking COVID-19 guidelines at a golf dinner in Ireland.

Hogan and several Irish politicians and lawmakers were among a party of more than 80 people who attended an event in County Galway on 19 August.

The dinner contravened rules on large-scale social gatherings that have been implemented across Ireland to limit the spread of COVID-19 and has caused uproar across the country.

Hogan was also accused of failing to adhere to quarantine rules after arriving in Ireland from Brussels prior to attending the dinner.

People entering Ireland are required to self isolate for 14 days if they are arriving from a country that isn't on the "green list" of safe nations.

Hogan flew into Ireland on 31 July and then said he traveled to another residence in Kildare five days later, where he tested negative for COVID-19 on 5 August after visiting hospital.

Prior to his resignation, Hogan refused to apologize and was adamant he hadn't broken any rules, but admitted to an error of judgment in his resignation statement.

"I broke no law, I broke no regulations, but I could have adhered better to the guidelines," he said. "I reiterate my heartfelt apology to the Irish people for the mistakes I made during my visit."

On Wednesday, Hogan issued a full timeline of his whereabouts before and after the dinner and was advised to step down from his role by Ireland's prime minister, Micheal Martin.

He then confirmed his resignation following a meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who is now faced with the headache of finding his replacement.

Hogan had been in charge of resolving the trade war with the U.S. and establishing an investment deal with China.