Horse Racing Ireland has launched a powerful new campaign aimed at positioning the sport as an enduring thread within the fabric of Irish identity.

Titled ‘Racing Runs in Us,’ the campaign went live on Sunday, July 28th, across TV, radio, out-of-home, and digital platforms.

The creative work invites audiences to reconnect with horse racing not simply on race days, but as a living presence in everyday Irish life.

Drawing on rich sound design and authentic voices from within the sport, the campaign evokes a sense of quiet omnipresence, of horse racing not just seen, but heard, felt, and remembered.

From echoes across rural tracks to fleeting urban glimpses, Racing Runs in Us makes the case that even if you’ve never set foot on a racecourse, you’re still only ever a conversation or connection away from Ireland’s racing community.

“Horse racing is often seen as something that exists on the periphery, but in truth, it’s in our towns, our traditions, our conversations, and our communities,” said Aileen Goatley, Head of Marketing at Horse Racing Ireland.

“With Racing Runs in Us, we wanted to capture the pride, passion and presence of the sport beyond race day. This is about recognising horse racing as something fundamentally Irish, woven into who we are.”

The new campaign highlights the sport’s social, emotional, and economic contributions. Whether in Galway or inner-city Dublin, the campaign suggests, horse racing is far closer than many realise—part of our shared heritage and lived experience.

It was developed in partnership with creative agency Folk VML and directed by Lorcan Hynes, with a strong emphasis on ambient storytelling and unscripted testimony from those embedded in the sport.

“We set out to create a campaign that doesn’t just show racing—it feels like racing,” said Karl Waters, Chief Creative Officer at Folk VML.

“It’s all around us and it runs in us, as a country.”

 

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