1897 Mar His parents married in Boston, USA
1898 Jan 1 born Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Parents Daniel T and Mary E McDonnell
1901 Living with family at Geraldine Place, Cork
1911 Living with family at Evergreen, Cork
1917 April 11 Enlisted as 75139 AM3 (Cadet) Donald McDonnell into the Royal Flying Corps and was sent to the Royal Flying Corps Recruit Depot at South Farnborough aged 19. Address on enlistment 13 Patrick, Cork. There is an Officers file for him:. Cadet Donald McDonnell, Royal Flying Corps. Archive reference WO 339/119254
1917 May 14 Posted to the 10 Cadet Wing at Denham Camp. At the Cadet Wing pupils received basic military training during a two-month course which included drill, physical training, military law, map reading and signaling using Morse code
1917 June 16 Posted to the Recruits Depot to be discharged with defective eye sight
1917 Sept 12 Proceeded home on discharge
1917 Oct 1 discharged . Address on discharge 3 Mayville, Evergreen Road, Cork.. Trade Engineer
1921 Feb 23 shot and wounded in Evergreen, Cork
WS Ref #: 869, Witness: P.J. Murphy, Captain Fianna Eireann, Cork, 1912 – 1916. On 23rd February 1921, D. McDonald, a civilian spy, was shot and seriously wounded in Evergreen St. This man was caught through letters captured in the mails.Late in February 1921 an ex- soldier by the name of D. McDonnell (better known as Monkey McDonnell) was fired at and wounded in Evergreen by the I.R.A. McDonnell was brought to the barracks, and when he got alright again he used to come out in an armoured car, patrol the streets and pick out the Volunteers and have them arrested. He also went out at night with the raiding parties dressed in a British Officer's uniform. In one of those raids near end of June, 1921 I was arrested and identified by McDonnell. I was brought first to the Abbey barracks where I was identified again by another spy named Flynn, and from there to the "Cage" in Cork barracks. S Flynn, ex British Army, Blarney Street., several unsuccessful attempts to get this man, eventually he left the country
The "Cage" was erected on the barrack square, consisting of two huts surrounded by barbed wire 12 feet high. There was an outer circle of barbed wire which was covered with canvas. Between the two lines of wire the sentries patrolled. The outer wire had a number of spyholes which enabled those outside to see in. Prisoners in the cage were supposed to have taken part in the city shootings, and a notice was hung on the outside requesting identification. After the Truce I was brought back to the guardroom cells in Cork barracks, and in the cell next to me the British had 'Monkey' McDonnell and another spy named Stephens. A row occurred in the Sergeant's Mess and the two spies were thrown into the cells. The prisoners in the "cage" brought the food to those in the cells, and when they found out who was there they threw the food on the floor. They were moved after a few days.
WS Ref #: 1708, Witness: William Barry, Officer IRA, Cork 1921. In the month of February, 1921, I received instructions that a local man named McDonald was to be apprehended and executed. Our Intelligence Service reported that McDonald was acting as a 'spotter' for the military. He was well acquainted with members of the local units of the I.R.A. We waited for him night after night even during curfew hours and on the night of 23rd February, 1921, he was seen in the vicinity of Evergreen after curfew. Revolver fire was opened on him from very close range and he fell, apparently dead. The following day, to our amazement, we learned that he was alive and suffering from one bullet wound only, but with five other bullet marks, skin deep, on him. This extraordinary occurrence was later explained when we discovered that .45 British Army ammunition which came in to our possession was defective and we believed it was deliberately done by the British. McDonald was taken to Cork Barracks by the British military and remained there, until the Truce of July 1921, when he went to England.
1921 Oct 14. At the Bere Island Interment Camp McDonald with the Official Photographer from Cork Barracks attempted unsuccessfully to film prisoners. He failed after the leader of the prisoners complained to the Camp Governor, Major Norcote (Northcote?) and the prisoners refused to parade.
1921 Lane in year IRA tried to track McDonnell down in London and failed as he apparently was in gaol. I cannot verify this from a news report
1925 This could be him and his brother
1936 Feb 28, Convicted with Leonard & Vincent of affray
1939 Register. Daniel is not in 1939 register, but his brother Vincent is (Vincent is in a Salvation Army hostel in London)