The World Rally Championship's visit to Ireland last November was worth €48 million to the economy on both sides of the Border, according to new research. John Collinsreports.

More than 250,000 spectators watched the rally when it came to Ireland for the first time last year.

The mean spend per spectator who attended the event was €320.78, according to the study completed by Dr Douglas McCulloch and Dr David Hassan from the School of Sports Studies at the University of Ulster. The three-day event began in the grounds of Stormont Castle and finished in Sligo.

The researchers found that 7 per cent of those who attended had travelled from overseas. The average spectator was a young adult male who attended with a group of friends. The research was based on questionnaires completed by a sample of spectators who attended the event.

"The fact that an event of such global significance can be hosted in one of the most economically deprived regions in western Europe is all the more significant," said Dr Hassan.

The University of Ulster has been commissioned to study the economic, social and tourism impact of a number of WRC events held last year.

A round of the WRC will be held in Ireland in January 2009.