NAME: John Russell DATE OF BIRTH: 2/12/65 HEIGHT: 5' 11" WEIGHT: 13st CLUB: Eire Og COUNTY: Clare HONOURS:All County underage medals with Eire Og in both hurling and football; 2 Harty Cup medals and 2 All-Ireland medals with St. Flannans; All-Ireland interfirms medal along with 2 Munster hurling and football medals with De Beers; played Railway Cup hurling with Munster INTER-COUNTY DEBUT: Versus Cork at Pairc Ui Chaomh in the 1985/86 NHL TOUGHEST OPPONENT: Tipp's Nicky English FAVOURITE GROUNDS: Cusack Park, Ennis FAVOURITE POSITION: Anywhere I am playing well SPORTING AMBITION: To win an All-Ireland with Clare and Club All-Ireland with Eire Og DO YOU PLAY ANY OTHER SPORTS: Football and soccer BOYHOOD HEROES: Ger Loughnane (Clare) and Jimmy Barry Murphy (Cork) FAVOURITE PLAYER: John Leahy (Tipperary) BIGGEST INFLUENCE ON CAREER: Paddy Duggan, Fr. Billy Walsh, Martin McKeogh, Martin Dillger WAYS OF IMPROVING THE GAME: I think the new league system and the open draw were a big step towards improvement. I would also like to see a doctor present at every game in case of serious injury DISLIKES ABOUT THE GAA: Media who fail to recognise the weaker counties and the penny pinching - there's not enough financial support given to players BEST GAME SEEN: Cork v Tipperary in the Centenary Munster Hurling Final YOUR BROTHER TOM PLAYS FOR ANOTHER INTERCOUNTY TEAM: Tom plays all his hurling in Monaghan with the county team and with Castleblayney Faughs. He plays football with the Faughs also and was on the team beaten by Thomas Davis in the All-Ireland club semi-final at Parnell Park HAVE EIRE OG ANY PRESENT OR RECENT COUNTY MEN INVOLVED? Barry Walsh is currently a selector and trainer with the county. Myself and Sean McCarthy are the two Eire Og representatives on the county team. Most notable players from the past that represented Eire Og on Clare hurling teams would be Owen McMahon and Seamus Durack TELL US ABOUT YOUR CLUB: Eire Og is the biggest of the two clubs in Ennis. The Banner is the name of the other one. 1990 was our most successful year to date when we reached the Munster Club Final. Ironically, I only played two games that year as a result of a broken jaw and a hand injury. Clarecastle beat us in the 1991 county semi-final. We have a fine sprinkling of young hurlers at Eire Og. Most notable Thomas Corbett who is surely a star for the future. Thomas captained St. Flannans to All-Ireland success sin 1991 and received the Munster Colleges Player of the Year at the same year HOW DO YOU RATE LEN GAYNOR? Very good. Has done a lot for Clare hurling. Installed a new self belief into the team. Would rate as highly as any manager I've every trained under CLARE HAVE SOME OUTSTANDING YOUNG PLAYERS. IS THE PRESENT TEAM SOMEWHAT INEXPERIENCED? I suppose you could say we are a bit inexperienced considering myself, Tommy Guilfoyle and Cyril Lyons would be the older members of the squad. But we are keen to do well and plenty of games is a good cure for inexperience WILL 1992 BE THE YEAR OF THE BANNER? Hopefully Taken from Hogan Stand magazine 13th March 1992 Vol 2 No 46 Tweet

Most Read Stories