Rally Ireland has announced the footprint of their World Rally Championship (WRC) event which takes place at the end of January 2009.

Following their success in November 2007, the event has been given the privilege to launch the WRC season, replacing the famous Monte Carlo rally.

While next year's event will again visit a total of eight counties, including Fermanagh, Tyrone, Antrim, Donegal, Sligo, Fermanagh, Tyrone, Leitrim, Roscommon and Cavan, organisers have sought to bring the rally to locations that the event has not visited before.

The Rally Ireland organising committee, who have been working since the start of the year, will present the finalised route to the world sport governing body, the FIA, for approval at the end of June.

Rally Ireland is supported by Fáilte Ireland through its Sports Tourism Sponsorship Programme, which is aimed at attracting major sporting events with tourism potential and promoting "Ireland - a natural sports arena."

Rally Ireland is licensed by Motorsport Ireland and organised with the assistance of the ANICC and Motorsport Ireland affiliated clubs.

More than 250,000 spectators attended Rally Ireland in November 2007 and generated more than £38 million for the local economy.

3000 volunteers and marshals gave up their time for the event, valued at £576,000.

Rally Ireland was also the most watched round of the 2007 WRC, with 62.8 million viewers in more than 180 countries watching the unique cross-border event.

Rally Ireland 2009 will take place from 29th January – 1st February.

The FIA WRC is one of the world's most popular spectator sports, attracting live audiences of more than 11 million spectators over 16 rounds, with a global television audience of 816 million.

Please see www.rallyireland.org for further information.