Killenaule isn't just home to Tipperary hurling stars Declan Fanning and Pat Kerwick - it's also from where well-known racehorse trainer Andrew Slattery runs his successful Meadowview Stables. 

Back in the GAA's Centenary Year of 1984, Andrew Slattery was invited to attend trials for the Tipperary minor football team. But at around the same time, he was offered the chance to become a professional jockey. Having seen the success his father Willie had enjoyed in the saddle, he decided to take it and hasn't looked back since.

"I was playing football and hurling with Killenaule at the time and I was meant to attend trials for the county minor football team. But then I went to do an apprenticeship to become a jockey and that effectively ended my GAA career. Ever since, horseracing has consumed me," remembers Andrew, who is nowadays better known as a National Hunt trainer.

"Tipp had a strong minor football team in 1984 and reached that year's All-Ireland final, only to lose to a Dublin team that included the future Aussie Rules star Jim Stynes. I could have played in that final had things turned out differently, but I have no regrets because racing has been good to me."

Andrew rode 25 winners as a National Hunt jockey with his last ride coming in 1996. He obtained his trainer's licence in the same year, having "learned the ropes" with local trainer Eddie O'Grady. Along with his father Willie, who famously won 11 races aboard Winning Fare back in the mid-1960s, and his brother, also Willie, Andrew runs the successful Meadowview Stables at Cooldine, Killenaule, which is situated on 32 acres and houses 38 stables.

"While we usually have 12-15 horses in training at any one time, the bulk of our business is buying and selling. We're always looking out for the best horses on the Point to Point scene," Andrew explains.

"We sold Cooldine and Quel Esprit to Willie Mullins and both of them have done well for him. Cooldine ran in the Cheltenham Gold Cup this year and has had successes over there. Quel Esprit is injured at the moment, but he will come back strong and is one to watch out for.

"We also sold Strike the Deal to the English-based trainer Jeremiah Noseda, which ran in the Breeders' Cup in the US. So we have a decent track record when it comes to selling winners."

Andrew is currently training Northern Rocker and Ruby Suesday for John Bernard O'Connor of Ballykelly Stud. Both have enjoyed National Hunt success this year, with Northern Rocker finishing third in one of the big races at the Galway Festival. All of Meadowview Stables' Point to Point horses are ridden by Roger Quinlan, while the best available professional jockeys are utilised on the National Hunt circuit.

Andrew also trains Vodka Bleu, which is jointly owned by Tipperary hurling greats Nicky English and Donie O'Connell. O'Connell was also part of the syndicate that owned Batchelor's Bar, which won two races.

The stables made headlines earlier this year with Chablais, which sold for a record £260,000 at the Brightwells National Hunt Sale in Cheltenham. Andrew had bought Chablais - a son of Saint des Saints - for €11,000 as a three-year old at the 2008 Goffs Land Rover Sale. The horse was bought by Richard Kelvin-Hughes and has since been put into training with Nicky Henderson.

Andrew has many family links with the GAA. His mother Peggy (nee Graham) played on the Tipperary team that lost the 1965 All-Ireland camogie final to Dublin at Croke Park. Peggy had five sisters who also represented the Premier County in camogie, while she is the holder of three county championship medals won with St. Patrick's.

Andrew's wife Mary, meanwhile, is a sister of the former Tipperary and Derry hurler John O'Dwyer. John played minor and under 21 hurling for Tipp before going on to play in two All-Ireland SHC quarter-finals for Derry a decade ago. The Oak Leaf County won back-to-back Ulster SHC titles in 2000 and 2001 with O'Dwyer a key member of their attack.

In addition, Andrew's sister Anne's brother-in-a-law, Brian Coen, was a member of the Tipperary senior and under 21 football teams this year. Under John Evans' tutelage, Tipp shocked Kerry to claim their first ever Munster under 21 football title before going on to lose the All-Ireland semi-final to Donegal. The 43-year-old horse trainer's three children - Gillian (14), Anna (11) and Andrew (nine) - have all followed in his footsteps by wearing the red and yellow jersey of Killenaule at juvenile level.

Situated in South Tipperary, not far from the Kilkenny border, Killenaule was founded in 1885, making it one of the oldest GAA club's in the country. It has produced its fair share of GAA stars down the years, including All-Ireland winners Tom Shanahan, Ned Cooke, Tommy O'Brien, Jerome Dwyer, Tom Teehan, William O'Grady, Tom Ryan, Joe O'Dwyer, Donie O'Connell, Paul Shelly, Niall Bergin, Matthew O'Donnell and Steven Browne.

Former All-Star full back Declan Fanning is currently flying the flag for Killenaule on the Tipperary senior hurling team, while Pat Kerwick would also be involved but for injury. Paddy Codd is the club's representative on the Tipp football team.

Tipp have forced their way back into the All-Ireland picture after a disastrous and totally unexpected Munster SHC first round collapse at the hands of Cork back in May. Looking back on that 10-point defeat now, Andrew believes it was a blessing in disguise.

"It was the best thing that could have happened to them," he claims.

"It was hard to take at the time and it was hard to see a way back for Tipp, but they got a few wins under their belts in the All-Ireland qualifiers and then had that fantastic win over Galway. That was one of the best games of hurling I've ever seen and hopefully it will bring them on that bit more." Tweet

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