Background
He was born in Clonmere, County Cork and came to Saint John"s at a young age.
He was born in Clonmere, County Cork and came to Saint John"s at a young age.
He represented Harbour Main in the Newfoundland House of Assembly from 1882 to 1889. By 1861, MacDonnell had moved to Brigus. He set up in business at Harbour Main and built a number of churches in the Conception Bay area.
He was elected as a supporter of William Whiteway in 1882 and then as a Liberal in 1885.
MacDonnell did not run for reelection in 1889. He ran unsuccessfully in the 1893 election as a Conservation and then in 1897 as a Liberal.
In 1898, he went to British Columbia, where he worked at the Crow"s Nest Pass for the Canadian Pacific Railway. MacDonnell returned to Newfoundland in 1901 and served as magistrate for Saint George"s until 1922, when he retired due to poor health.
He died at Saint George"s six years later.
He was also named a member of the Order of the British Empire.