Born and raised in Dunmanway, County Cork, O'Donovan first played Gaelic football as a schoolboy with Coláiste Chairbre.
O'Donovan's debut season was a successful one as he claimed a Cork IFC medal after an 0–11 to 0–07 defeat of Kilmurry in the final.
[8] O'Donovan later earned a call-up to the senior team and he made his debut during the 1998–99 National League.
[9] O'Donovan made his Munster SFC debut against Waterford two weeks, but lost his place on the starting fifteen in all subsequent games.
O'Donovan's performances at inter-county level resulted in a call-up to the Munster inter-provincial team.