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 buga wasan sa na kasa da kasa a
1979 IAAF World Cross Country Championships da aka shirya a gida a Limerick, yana gudana 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 na karshe shine gudu a gasar zakarun duniya ta 1981 ta IAAF, inda ya inganta zuwa na 18 kuma ya jagoranci kungiyar matasa ta Irish zuwa na takwas a cikin jeri.