Career
In 1921 he joined Éamon de Valera"s anti-treaty forces and remained a critic of partition until his death. He was interned and on his release was appointed Chief Organiser of Sinn Féin. Shortly after his election, he was served with an order excluding him from Northern Ireland.
Number official reason was given for the granting of this order.
Donnelly was elected to Dáil Éireann as a Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála (Territorial Decoration) for the Leix–Offaly constituency at the 1933 general election. He did not contest the 1937 general election.
He also served as Director of Elections for Fianna Fáil. In 1938, Donnelly visited his wife"s house near Newry, and was imprisoned in Belfast Prison, before being given a choice between paying a fine of £25 or returning to prison.
Again, no reason for his imprisonment and exclusion was revealed.
That year, he stood for election to the 2nd Seanad, but was not successful. In 1942, Donnelly was again elected to the Parliament of Northern Ireland, this time in a by-election for Belfast Falls. He did not take his seat.
He died in 1944.
