Heather Downey
Heather Downey is a Senior Marketing Executive at Horse Racing Ireland and acting Marketing Manager at Fairyhouse Racecourse.
She is responsible for instilling a love of horses among school-aged children under the HRI Racing Juniors brand platform.
Since joining in 2022, she has successfully launched a teaching resource for primary schools entitled The Road To Racing, which teaches children about the care a horse receives at a training yard.
She has also worked with all Irish Racecourses to deliver education days on track where children can meet racehorses and learn from jockeys, trainers, farriers and racecourse staff.
In 2024, over 3,000 children attended an education day with their school at various racecourses around the country.
Most recently, Heather has stepped into the role of acting Marketing Manager at Fairyhouse Racecourse, covering a maternity leave and has delivered year on year growth at the iconic Fairyhouse Easter Festival.
She is a graduate of Maynooth University with a degree in Business Studies.
Previously Listed: Danielle Murray, Alex Malone, Jordan Kochanski, Sarah Murphy, Clara O’Brien, Daniel Cleary, Rachel Cuddy, Anouk Espiasse, Jamie Blanchfield, Sarah Gelletlie, Stephen Gallagher, Rory Cassidy, Ellen Byrne, Luiseach Alexander, Eoin Byrne, Sara McFadden, Jim Flanagan, Megan Ronan, Tiernan Harris, Chloe Farrell, Sophie Doolan, Jack McCarney, Hannah Collins
Nominations for 2025
Nominations for this year’s 30 under 30 are now closed and have been significantly oversubscribed. We will open up the nominations for 2026 early next year.
Criteria
The criteria for submission are that the person should be working within the sports industry or in a sponsorship or agency capacity that brings sport to life and that they should have been born in or after 1995.
We are naming one new 30 Under 30 individual in our Sport for Business Morning Bulletin from Thursday, March 20th, 2025
On May 23rd, we will gather once more in the offices of PwC to meet in person, share experiences, and forge valuable connections.
We will also examine additional ways to help those nominated enhance their careers and build strong friendships across the sector.
The Sport for Business Membership comprises over 300 organisations, including all the leading sports and sponsors, as well as commercial and state agencies.Â
