Kammala jumla mai zuwa: Donovan ya girma a Galway kuma ya shiga wasanni a makarantar sakandare, galibi yana cikin ƙwallon ƙafa na Gaelic, ƙwallon ƙafa, da rugby. Duk da haka, yayin da yake horar da kwallon kafa na Gaelic ya sami kyauta don gudu mai nisa. Ya fara halartar wasannin kasa da kasa a 1979 IAAF World Cross Country Championships da aka shirya a gida a Limerick, yana gudu a tseren matasa kuma ya sanya 54th. Ya lashe sashin matsakaici na British Schools Cross Country International a waccan shekarar, tare da yin gudu a cikin mita 3000 a gasar zakarun Turai ta 1979 na matasa. Babban bayyanarsa ta karshe ta matasa ita ce gudu a
1981 IAAF World Cross Country Championships, inda ya inganta zuwa na 18 kuma ya jagoranci tawagar matasa na Irish zuwa na takwas a cikin martaba.