Lough Lene Gaels GAA

Lough Lene Gaels
Gaeil Loch Léinn
Founded:	1969
County:	Westmeath
Nickname:	The Gaels
Colours:	Purple and Gold
Coordinates:	53°38′55.74″N 7°13′29.33″W / 53.6488167°N 7.2248139°W
Playing kits
	Standard colours
	Standard colours
Senior Club Championships

Lough Lene Gaels (Irish: Gaeil Loch Léinn) is a Gaelic Athletic Association club, based in Collinstown, County Westmeath, Ireland.

Club history

Lough Lene Gaels was founded as a hurling club in 1969 as a result of an amalgamation between the Collinstown, Fore, Glenidan and Rickardstown hurling clubs.^{[citation needed]}

The club played its first match in the 1970 Westmeath Senior Hurling Championship and it resulted in a 5-17 to 5-1 win over Delvin. The club's first league title was won, in early 1972, in a postponed 1971 Junior hurling league final. Lough Lene Gaels defeated Raharney, by 4-10 to 2-3, in that final. The first championship title came in 1973 when the Junior title was won by defeating Castletown-Geoghegan 7-3 to 2-3.

At senior level, the club won the 1975 Westmeath Senior Hurling Championship by defeating Raharney in the final. The senior title was retained in 1976.^{[citation needed]}

Throughout the 1980s, Lough Lene Gaels picked up championships titles on several occasions in the U-21, minor, and underage grades - but a third senior title eluded the club during the 1980s.^{[citation needed]}

In the early 1990s, the club won U-21 and U-16 titles being won followed by 3-in a row sequence of championship successes in the minor grade.^{[citation needed]} In 1996, Lough Lene Gaels won their first ever U-12 championship in the "A" grade.^{[citation needed]}

On Sunday 13 October 1996, Lough Lene Gaels won their third SHC title, defeating Castletown-Geoghegan 2-7 to 0-9 in the final at Cusack Park Mullingar. The club also won the MHC final, on the same day, making it a very special day for the club.^{[citation needed]}

Lough Lene Gaels have subsequently won further titles in the senior, U-21, minor, U-16 and U-12 grades. Lough Lene Gaels won the last SH championship of the 20th century, defeating Castlepollard 1-13 to 1-11 in the final at Cusack Park on Sunday 24 October 1999. The last U-21 championship of the 20th century was also won by the Gaels on 5 December 1999 at Cusack Park. Oliver Plunketts was defeated by 3-5 to 0-8 in that final.^{[citation needed]}

In September 2000, the club won the Westmeath Senior Hurling Championship for the third year in succession. In the final, Lough Lene Gaels defeated their neighbours and rivals Castlepollard on a 3-8 to 0-14 scoreline at Cusack Park.^{[citation needed]}

The club won the senior championship again in 2002 defeating Castletown Geoghegan in a finish which saw them score two goals in injury time. Castletown had scored a goal in the last minute of normal time to take a one-point lead and looked set for victory.^{[citation needed]}

Lough Lene reached the Westmeath final in 2007.^[1]