He played his first game for the Shamrocks club in 1912 and won a Cork IHC title after a defeat of Castletownroche in 1915.
[1] He also lined out the following year when Shamrocks were beaten by Midleton in the senior final.
Russell joined the Cork senior hurling team in 1920 and was an unused substitute in that year's All-Ireland final defeat by Dublin.
After his national schooling at Ringaskiddy, he trained to be a fitter-turner at the Royal Navy Dockyard in Haulbowline.
[5] Partial Reference: Cork GAA website Inter-County SHC Results and Teams.