Ironman says it was only told the event in Youghal would not be officially sanctioned when the swim had already finished.
On Monday evening Triathlon Ireland said its technical officials attended before the start of the race to review the conditions and carry out a water safety assessment.
Triathlon Ireland said its officials confirmed to the Ironman race organisers that it was not possible to sanction the race.
In a statement this evening, Ironman says it works in collaboration with National Federations around the world due to the number of events that it runs.
Ironman confirmed federation representatives were present during the event and performed their duties.
However the statement goes on to say the federation representatives only communicated to Ironman officials that they would not approve sanctioning several hours after the swim was completed.
The statement says Ironman officials and the specific on-swim safety team determined the water conditions were safe for the swim to take place on Sunday and that the course was shortened for both races out of an abundance of safety.
RedFM News has contacted Triathlon Ireland for a statement.
