Lough Lene Gaels Hurling Club, takes this opportunity to put on the record, that Sunday, August 27th 2023, will mark exactly to the corresponding Sunday of August 26th 1973, exactly half a century, since Lough Lene Gaels Hurling Club achieved an important "first" namely the winning of a first ever Westmeath Club Hurling Championship title. 

 

The competition in question was the Westmeath Junior Hurling Championship competition of 1973.

 

Having won the final of the 1971 Westmeath Junior Hurling League, with a 4.10 to 2.03 victory over Raharney in the final of that competition, played in October 1972 at Mullingar's then (now TEG) Cusack Park, there were justified expectations, that Lough Lene Gaels could be a sincere contender for the 1973 Westmeath J.H.C title.

 

 

ROUND 1 - SUNDAY JUNE 17TH 1973

VENUE - MULLINGAR - CUSACK PARK

LOUGH LENE GAELS v RINGTOWN 

 

 

MATCH RESULT 

LOUGH LENE GAELS........6.05 (23)

RINGTOWN.......................2.13 (19)

Lough Lene Gaels played a Round 1 fixture of the 1973 J.H.C versus Championship favourites Ringtown, at Mullingar's Cusack Park on Sunday afternoon June 17th 1973.

 

Ringtown was refounded, and affiliated to the GAA organisation in Westmeath, in early 1973, having ceased to exist as a Hurling Club under its own name in the mid 1950s, as a consequence of a lack of player numbers.

 

Therefore, Lough Lene Gaels very much, was "up against it" - as the cliche states!

 

Lough Lene Gaels conceded an early goal to Ringtown, seconds after the commencement of play, and the omens were not encouraging. Lough Lene Gaels though rallied, after the concession of that early goal. Ringtown 1.09 Lough Lene Gaels 2.01, was the half time scoreline, Sean Molloy and Maurice Gavigan the Lough Lene Gaels goalscorers in the first half.

 

Shortly before the midway point of the second half, Lough Lene Gaels drew level at 3.04 to 1.10, the third Lough Lene Gaels goal coming from Sean Molloy. 

 

Goals from Matty Conaty (2) and Jimmy Weldon, in the closing quarter of play, enabled Lough Lene Gaels to win this Round 1 1973 Westmeath JHC fixture by a margin of four points.

 

Lough Lene Gaels had its 6.05 total scored v Ringtown by, Matty Conaty (2.01), Sean Molloy (2.00), Maurice Gavigan (1.01), Jimmy Weldon (1.00), Bernard Conaty (0.02), John "Jobber" McGrath (0.01).

 

 

 

ROUND 2 - SUNDAY JULY 1ST 1973

VENUE - DELVIN

LOUGH LENE GAELS v TURIN

 

MATCH RESULT 

LOUGH LENE GAELS............4.04 (16)

TURIN....................................3.07 (16)

Delvin was the venue, where Lough Lene Gaels played Turin, in a Round 2 fixture of the 1973 Westmeath JHC, on Sunday July 1st 1973. Turin, defeated by Cullion in the 1972 Westmeath JHC final, were now themselves prehaps in the role of favourites to win the 1973 Westmeath JHC competition, following Ringtown's Round 1 defeat to Lough Lene Gaels. 

 

Having looked on course for victory in this Round 2 fixture with less than 10 minutes of play remaining, Lough Lene Gaels conceded two late goals and a point to Turin, who ensured this Round 2 fixture required a replay.

 

There was subsequently an excellent newspaper report on this match, with teams included. However, individual match scorers were not included with the match report.

 

According to the same newspaper report...

"Best for Lough Lene Gaels were John "Jobber" McGrath, Mick Cosgrave, Mick and Martin Healy, and Sean Weldon."

 

Pat Salmon, Tim Ward and Richard (Dickie) Carroll played in this drawn fixture for Lough Lene Gaels as introduced substitutes.

 

 

ROUND 2 - REPLAY - SUNDAY JULY 15TH 1973

VENUE - MULLINGAR - CUSACK PARK 

LOUGH LENE GAELS v TURIN 

 

RESULT 

LOUGH LENE GAELS...........7.07 (28)

TURIN...................................4.03 (15)

Lough Lene Gaels won this high scoring replay 1973 Round 2 Westmeath Junior Hurling Championship fixture, played at Mullingar's (now TEG) Cusack Park on Sunday July 15th 1973. Lough Lene Gaels cliched victory in this Round 2 replay, with a sequence of scores in the closing 15 minutes of play. Turin, who had a player sent off midway through the first half, had managed to stay in contention, until the aforementioned final 15 minutes of play.

 

The Lough Lene Gaels total of 7.07, was scored by, Maurice Gavigan (4.00), Bernard Conaty (1.02), Matty Conaty (0.04), Patsy McDonnell (1.01), and John "Jobber" McGrath (1.00).

 

 

SEMI FINAL - SUNDAY JULY 22ND 1973

VENUE - DELVIN

LOUGH LENE GAELS v CLONKILL 

 

RESULT 

LOUGH LENE GAELS......4.11 (23)

CLONKILL........................3.01 (10)

Lough Lene Gaels, a match report subsequently suggested, were guilty of missing a number of scores from promising attacking moves, in the first half of this 1973 Westmeath JHC semi final match, played at Delvin on Sunday July 21st 1973. At half time, Lough Lene Gaels 2.02 Clonkill 2 00, was the match scoreline.

 

Lough Lene Gaels though in the second half, were a much improved team, outscoring Clonkill 2.09 to 1.01, winning this semi final fixture by a margin of 13 points, therefore Lough Lene Gaels Hurling Club qualified for a first ever appearance in a Westmeath Club Hurling Championship final, of any grade! 

 

The Lough Lene Gaels total of 4.11, was scored by, Bernard Conaty (2.01), Maurice Gavigan (1.00), John "Jobber" McGrath" (1.02), Michael Cosgrave (0.03), Matty Conaty (0.02), Jimmy Weldon (0.01), Michael Healy (0.01), and Patsy McDonnell (0.01).

 

 

FINAL - SUNDAY 26.08.1973

VENUE - MULLINGAR - CUSACK PARK 

LOUGH LENE GAELS v CASTLETOWN GEOGHEGAN 

 

RESULT 

LOUGH LENE GAELS..................7.03 (24)

CASTLETOWN GEOGHEGAN.....2.03 (09)

Lough Lene Gaels Hurling Club, four years in existence in 1973, won its first ever Westmeath Club Hurling Championship title, as a consequence of this victory over Castletown Geoghegan in that year's JHC final, played as a curtain raiser to both Westmeath SHC semi final fixtures, at Mullingar's Cusack Park on Sunday August 26th 1973.

 

Lough Lene Gaels did not start this fixture very well, training 1.01 to 0.00, after 20 minutes of play. It seemed a day of possible positive promise, was going to badly end for Lough Lene Gaels!

 

It was though in that same 20th minute, that Patsy McDonnell availed of a under hit CTG "puck out", to gain possession of the ball, and dispatch it to the CTG net. Two minutes later, Matty Conaty scored a second LLG goal, the Purple and Golds now a team transformed from their subdued opening 20 minutes of performance!

 

Michael Cosgrave and John "Jobber" McGrath, each then pointed for Lough Lene Gaels. Two minutes prior to half time, CTG scored their second goal. Lough Lene Gaels finished the first half match scoring, with a Matty Conaty goal, his second, and a second Michael Cosgrave point. Lough Lene Gaels 3.03 Castletown Geoghegan 2.01, was the match scoreline at half time.

 

Two minutes into the second half, Lough Lene Gaels, via Maurice Gavigan, scored their fourth goal. A four minutes spell of play, which spanned the midway point of play, was the phase of match action which sent Lough Lene Gaels onwards towards eventual victory. In that phase of play, Lough Lene Gaels scored three further goals, one each from Bernard Conaty, Patsy McDonnell and Matty Conaty.

 

The last 10 minutes of this 1973 Westmeath JHC final, was played in a "going through the motions" atmosphere! Castletown Geoghegan scored two points to finish match scoring, leaving Lough Lene Gaels match winners, and 1973 Westmeath JH championship winners, by a margin of 15 points.

 

Lough Lene Gaels team captain Seamus Ward, created club history, as the first player of Lough Lene Gaels Hurling Club to captain a team representing that club, to a Westmeath Club Hurling Championship title success, when he accepted the JHC Cup from Westmeath GAA Board Chairman Fr Mackin!

 

LOUGH LENE GAELS

Edward Feichin Fitzpatrick, Sean Molloy, Toss Mulligan, Seamus Ward (Captain), Sean Bartley, Louis McDonnell, John Williams, John "Jobber" McGrath (0.01), Martin Healy, Jimmy Weldon, Matty Conaty (3.00), Michael Cosgrave (0.02), Bernard Conaty (1.00), Patsy McDonnell (2.00), Maurice Gavigan (1.00).

 

SUBSTITUTES

Lough Lene Gaels Hurling Club was indeed in a good place to have a number of top class players available for match action as substitutes, throughout its successful  participation in the 1973 Westmeath JHC, a number of whom were involved in match action in JHC fixtures of previous rounds that preceeded the final.

 

Their numbers included, Matty Nolan, Tim Ward, Fr Richard Walsh, Sean Weldon, Pat Salmon, Tommy Coleman, Richard "Dickie" Carroll, and Michael Healy,

 

John "Jobber" McGrath, 45 years of age in 1973, was the only player of that Lough Lene Gaels panel of players who had previously won Westmeath SHC Medals, namely in 1954, 1959, and 1963, with Rickardstown Hurling Club, a club with whom he had previously won a Westmeath JHC medal in 1950. 

 

The 1973 Westmeath JHC final, was the last competitive club Hurling fixture that John "Jobber" McGrath played.

 

Brothers Patsy and Louis McDonnell, previously won Westmeath JHC medals with Glenidan Hurling Club in 1954 and 1962. The McDonnell brothers would go on to win Westmeath SHC Medals with Lough Lene Gaels in the mid 1970s.

 

 

A number of Lough Lene Gaels Hurling Club players of that 1973 Westmeath JHC success, would subsequently go on to play important roles in the winning by Lough Lene Gaels, of Westmeath SHC titles in 1975 and 1976 

 

Edward Feichin Fitzpatrick, Toss Mulligan and Richard "Dickie" Carroll, had previously won Westmeath MHC medals in 1966 with St Mary's, which drew its players from the Collinstown, Glenidan and the Rickardstown Hurling Clubs.

 

Toss Mulligan had also previously won a Westmeath JHC medal with Collinstown Hurling Club in 1967.

 

Two players on opposing teams in the 1973 Westmeath JHC final, Matty Conaty and Seamus Whelan/O'Faolain (1947 - 2021), went on to subsequently give Gold Standard service to the GAA organisation in Westmeath as outstanding administrators.

 

Matty Conaty, John Williams, Martin Healy, Michael Cosgrave, and Bernard Conaty won North Westmeath Primary Schools Hurling League Divisional medals with with Collinstown Primary School (NS) in 1965.

 

Half a century has passed, since the greatness of that sporting achievement in 1973. 

 

The passing of 50 years has not aged or faded the greatness of their sporting success half a century ago!

 

A number of players, team officials and club officers, all of whom played important roles in that success 50 years ago, are now deceased. 

 

Those players, team officials and club officers, are remembered at this time.

 

But just as Harold Abrahams and Eric Liddell, winners of Gold medals for Britain in the 1924 Paris Olympic Games, were gloriously immortalised by the 1981 film CHARIOTS OF FIRE, those players of Lough Lene Gaels Hurling Club, of the JHC winning success of 1973, are that club's CHARIOTS OF FIRE, forever to be glorious immortalised for their sporting achievement of half a century ago!

 

Now is the time for silence, and to reflect and remember!

 

Lest we forget!

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