Involvement in sport grows as more people watch and play

The GAA and Airtricity League may have registered some disappointing crowd numbers this summer but the latest research has shown that attendance figures at sporting events increased from 17% to 22% in 2011.

The findings were part of the fourth Irish Sports Monitor Report, published by the Irish Sports Council (ISC), which shines a light on all aspects of adult sporting participation throughout the country in a given 12-month period.

The 22% figure represents the percentage of people who claimed to have attended a sporting event in the previous seven days and covers a broad spectrum from internationals and championship matches to local underage games.