View source for Mike Frank Russell

{{Short description|Irish Gaelic footballer (born 1977)}}
{{BLP sources|date=May 2021}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2021}}
{{Use Hiberno-English|date=May 2021}}
{{Infobox Gaelic games player
| code = Football
| sport = [[Gaelic football]]
| image = 
| name = Mike Frank Russell
| irish = Mícheál Prionsias Ruiséal
| birth_date = 1977
| feet = 5
| inches = 11
| occupation = teacher
| county = Kerry
| province = Munster
| club = [[Laune Rangers]]
| clyears = 1995-present
| clapps(points) = 
| clcounty = 2 (1 as sub)
| clprovince = 2 (1 as sub)
| clallireland = 1 (1 as sub)
| sig = 1
| counties = [[Kerry GAA|Kerry]]
| icposition = Right corner forward
| icyears = 1997-2009
| icapps(points) = 56 (8-130)
| icprovince = 8
| icallireland = 5
| nfl = 4 ( 1 as sub)
| allstars = 1
| clupdate = 
| birth_place = [[Killorglin]], [[County Kerry]]
}}

'''Mike Frank Russell''' (born 1977) is an Irish Gaelic footballer. He plays [[Gaelic football]] with his local club [[Laune Rangers]] and was a member at senior level of the [[Kerry county football team|Kerry county team]] from 1997 until 2009.

==Early life==
Born in [[Killorglin]], [[County Kerry]] in 1977, Russell was educated at Scoil Mhuire national school before later attending the Intermediate School in Killorglin. It was here that Russell's football skills were first developed and he became a key member of the school's senior team. In 1996, he captured a [[Corn Uí Mhuirí]] winners' medal as the Killorglin school captured the Munster colleges' title. An All-Ireland colleges' final appearance beckoned for Russell's side with St Patrick's of [[Maghera]] providing the opposition. Killorglin went on a goal scoring spree and proved more than a match for the point-scoring abilities of St Pat's. A 4-8 to 1-14 score line gave Killorglin the win and gave Russell an [[Hogan Cup|All-Ireland]] colleges' winners' medal.

Russell currently works as a teacher in Mercy Holy Cross primary school in [[Killarney]].<ref>[http://www.mercyholycross.ie/teaching-staff.html Mercy Holy Cross School] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170215115238/http://www.mercyholycross.ie/teaching-staff.html |date=2017-02-15 }} website</ref> In 2009, he married Sinead O'Brien in Killorglin.

==Playing career==

===College===
Russell attended the [[Institute of Technology, Tralee]] (ITT), where he lined out with the institute's senior football team and enjoyed some success. In the 1997–98 season, his side reached the final of the inter-varsities football competition. The [[University of Ulster]] provided the opposition on that occasion in [[Austin Stack Park]]; however, ITT won the game by 0-10 to 0-8, giving Russell a [[Sigerson Cup]] winners' medal.

===Inter-county===
Russell made his debut for Kerry in the 1997 season. He became a key forward for Kerry over the next decade, winning a total of five All-Ireland medals with Kerry. He was also selected for the All-Star team in 2000. He retired from inter-county football in 2009.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kerryman.ie/premium/sport/gaelic-football/end-of-an-era-as-mike-frank-retires-1801049.html|title=End of an era as Mike Frank retires|publisher=[[The Kerryman]]|date=2009-07-01|access-date=2010-07-15}}</ref> Went to New York for summer 2009 to play for Roscommon New York who won the Championship

==Honours==

===Ireland===
*'''[[International Rules Series]]''' (1)
** 2001 (sub)

===Kerry===
*'''[[All-Ireland Senior Football Championship]]''' (5)
** 1997, 2000, 2004, 2006, 2007; 
** runner-up 2002, 2005, 2008
*'''[[Munster Senior Football Championship]]''' (8)
** 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007; runner-up 1999, 2006, 2008
*'''[[National Football League (Ireland)|National Football League (Division 1)]]''' (4)
** 1996-97, 2004, 2006, 2009 (sub)
*'''[[National Football League (Ireland)|National Football League (Division 2)]]''' (1)
**2002
*'''[[All-Ireland Under-21 Football Championship]]''' (2)
**1996, 1998
*'''[[Munster Under-21 Football Championship]]''' (3)
** 1996 (sub), 1997, 1998 (sub)
*'''[[All-Ireland Minor Football Championship]]''' (1)
** 1994
*'''[[Munster Minor Football Championship]]''' (1)
** 1994

===Intermediate School Killorglin===
*'''[[Hogan Cup|All-Ireland Senior Colleges' Football Championship]]''' (1)
** 1996
*'''[[Corn Uí Mhuirí|Munster Senior Colleges' Football Championship]]''' (1)
**1996

===Institute of Technology, Tralee===
*'''[[Sigerson Cup]]''' (1)
**1997-98

===Laune Rangers===
*'''[[All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship]]''' (1)
** 1996 (sub)
*'''[[Munster Senior Club Football Championship]]''' (1)
** 1995 (sub), 1996
*'''[[Kerry Senior Football Championship]]''' (2)
** 1995 (sub), 1996; runner-up 1997, 2003, 2004
*'''[[Kerry Under-21 Football Championship]]''' (1)
** 1995
*'''[[Kerry Minor Football Championship]]''' (1)
** 1995
*[[Kerry County Football League – Division 1]] (4)
** 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998

===Awards===
*'''[[GAA GPA All Stars Awards]]''' (1)
**2000

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-ach|aw}}
{{succession box
|before=[[Mark O'Reilly]]<br />([[Meath county football team|Meath]])
|title=All-Ireland Senior Football Final<br />[[Player of the match|Man of the Match]]
|years=[[2000 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final|2000]] (Drawn game)
|after=[[Seamus Moynihan]]<br />([[Kerry county football team|Kerry]])
}}
{{s-end}}

{{Laune Rangers Football Team 1996}}
{{Navboxes
|title=Kerry squads
|bg=green
|fg=yellow
|list1=
{{All Ireland Minor Football Champions 1994}}
{{All Ireland Under 21 Football Champions 1996}}
{{Kerry NFL Football Team 1997}}
{{Kerry Football Team 1997}}
{{All Ireland Under 21 Football Champions 1998}}
{{Kerry Football Team 2000}}
{{Kerry Football Team 2002}}
{{Kerry NFL Football Team 2004}}
{{Kerry Football Team 2004}}
{{Kerry Football Team 2005}}
{{Kerry NFL Football Team 2006}}
{{Kerry Football Team 2006}}
{{Kerry Football Team 2007}}
{{Kerry Football Team 2008}}
}}
{{2001 Ireland international rules football team}}
{{Navboxes
|title=Awards
|bg=gold
|list1=
{{2000 All Stars}}
{{All Stars Young Footballer of the Year}}
{{All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final Man of the Match}}
}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Russell, Mike Frank}}
[[Category:1977 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:All Stars Awards winners (football)]]
[[Category:All Stars Young Footballers of the Year]]
[[Category:Alumni of Institute of Technology, Tralee]]
[[Category:Irish international rules football players]]
[[Category:Irish schoolteachers]]
[[Category:Kerry inter-county Gaelic footballers]]
[[Category:Laune Rangers Gaelic footballers]]
[[Category:Winners of five All-Ireland medals (Gaelic football)]]