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             EXHIBIT 5.0     OPINION OF MULDOON, MURPHY & FAUCETTE




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                    [MULDOON, MURPHY & FAUCETTE LETTERHEAD]




                                  July 22, 1998





Board of Directors
Lenox Bancorp, Inc.
5255 Beech Street
St. Bernard, Ohio 45217

      Re:    Lenox Bancorp, Inc. 1997 Incentive Plan
             Registration Statement on Form S-8 for Offer and Sale of
             59,594 Additional Shares of Common Stock

Ladies and Gentlemen:

      We have been  requested by Lenox Bancorp,  Inc.(the  "Company") to issue a
legal opinion in connection  with the  registration  under the Securities Act of
1933, as amended,  on Form S-8 of 59,594  shares of the Company's  Common Stock,
$.01 par value (the "Shares"),  to be issued under the Lenox Bancorp,  Inc. 1997
Incentive Plan (the "Plan").

      We have made such  legal and  factual  examinations  and  inquiries  as we
deemed advisable for the purpose of rendering this opinion.  In our examination,
we have  assumed and have not verified (i) the  genuineness  of all  signatures,
(ii) the authenticity of all documents  submitted to us as originals,  (iii) the
conformity  with the  originals of all documents  supplied to us as copies,  and
(iv) the accuracy and completeness of all corporate records and documents and of
all certificates and statements of fact, in each case given or made available to
us by the Company or its subsidiary, Lenox Savings Bank.

      Based on the  foregoing  and  limited in all  respects to Ohio law and the
facts as they  exist on the  date  hereof,  it is our  opinion  that the  Shares
reserved  under the Plan have been duly  authorized and upon the issuance of the
Shares in the manner  described in the Plan, will be validly issued,  fully paid
and nonassessable.

       Article Eight of the Company's Articles of Incorporation, which generally
prohibits the acquisition of beneficial  ownership of more than 10% of any class
of equity  security  of the  Company for a period of five years from the date of
the  Company's  acquisition  of the  Bank,  may not be given  effect  by a court
applying Ohio law, but in our opinion the failure to give effect to



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Board of Directors
Lenox Bancorp, Inc.
July 22, 1998
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such provisions will not affect the duly authorized,  validly issued, fully paid
and nonassessable status of the Common Stock.

      This opinion is rendered to you solely for your benefit in connection with
the  issuance of the Shares as described  above.  This opinion may not be relied
upon by any other person or for any other  purpose,  and it should not be quoted
in whole or in part or  otherwise  referred to or be filed with or  furnished to
any  governmental  agency (other than the Securities and Exchange  Commission in
connection with the aforementioned  Registration  Statement on Form S-8 in which
this  opinion is  contained)  or any other  person or entity  without  the prior
written consent of this firm.

      We hereby  consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to, and the
reference to this firm in, the Company's Registration Statement on Form S-8.

                                       Very truly yours,



                                       /s/ MULDOON, MURPHY & FAUCETTE