Between 1996 and 2002, she was a board member and co-chair of the Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL).

[6] Donnelly postponed an order of extradition for a man to Poland in 2018, as a result of the 2015 Polish Constitutional Court crisis.

Her subsequent decision did not find that there was a specific threat to the accused man's rights to a fair trial.

[9] Her appointment followed the elevation of Mary Irvine to the Supreme Court of Ireland.

[10] The Irish Government nominated Donnelly for appointment to the Supreme Court of Ireland in May 2023.