Live Sport Stats Show Community Divide

Attendance at live sports events in Northern Ireland continues to fall along political and community lines, according to new statistics released by the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure.

The findings from the 2011/12 Continuous Household Survey showed that over a fifth (21%) of those from a Catholic community background attended a live Gaelic or hurling sporting event in Northern Ireland within the last year.

This was compared to less than 1% of respondents from a Protestant community background.

Live cricket and hockey events in Northern Ireland were "almost exclusively" attended by those from a Protestant community background.

The results also showed that those from the 20% least deprived areas were more likely to have spectated at a live sporting event (33%) than those from the 20% most deprived areas (24%).

Those from the most deprived 20% areas were less likely than all other areas to have attended a live sports event in Northern Ireland.

Nearly three in every ten people (29%) watched one or more live sports events in Northern Ireland within the last year.

The three most popular spectator sports in Northern Ireland were football (10%), Gaelic football (8%) and rugby (6%).

Gaelic/hurling spectators attended live events in their particular sports in Northern Ireland more frequently than soccer or rugby spectators within the previous year, according to the report.

Three-fifths (60%) of Gaelic/hurling spectators watched once a month or more, compare to 40% for football and 37% for rugby)

Over half (54%) of all respondents said that there was nothing that would encourage them to go to watch more sport at a live event in Northern Ireland.

(IT/CD)