Tuhia he tohutoro mō tēnei wāhanga - I tipu ake a Donovan i Galway, ā, i uru ia ki ngā hākinakina i te kura tuarua, ko te nuinga o te wā e uru ana ki te whutupaoro Gaelic, te whutupaoro, me te whutupaoro. Heoi, i a ia e whakangungu ana mo te whutupaoro Gaelic i kitea e ia he koha mo te oma tawhiti. I timata ia i tana whakataetae a-ao i te 1979 IAAF World Cross Country Championships i whakahaerehia i runga i te whenua i Limerick, i rere i te whakataetae rangatahi me te tuu i te 54th. I wikitoria ia i te waahanga takawaenga o te British Schools Cross Country International i taua tau, me te oma i nga 3000 mita i te 1979 European Athletics Junior Championships. Ko tana putanga nui o te taiohi whakamutunga i te 1981 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
, i eke ai ia ki te tūranga 18 me te arahi i te kapa rangatahi o Ireland ki te tuawaru o nga rangatira.