An unsuccessful spell as Turloughmore manager was followed by a two-year tenure as statistician with the Tipperary senior hurling team.

In his second season in charge he guided the team to a clean sweep of All-Ireland, Leinster Championship and National League titles.

Donoghue joined the Clarinbridge club at a young age and played in all grades at juvenile and underage levels.

On 14 November 1992, he scored a point from left wing-back when Clarinbridge drew 1-08 to 2-05 with Castlegar in the Galway Minor Championship final.

He made his first appearance on 9 August when he lined out at left corner-back in a 1-16 apiece draw with Kilkenny in the All-Ireland semi-final.

After being appointed manager of the Clarinbridge senior hurling team in 2009, Donoghue immediately brought success to the club.

Under his guidance, the team qualified for the Galway Senior Championship final on 31 October 2010, however, the game ended in a 2-11 to 1-14 draw with Loughrea.

[12] Donoghue subsequently guided Clarinbridge to the All-Ireland Club Championship title on 17 March 2011 following a 2-18 to 0-12 defeat of O'Loughlin Gaels.

In his first season in charge he guided the team to a semi-final appearance in the Galway Senior Championship, however, his side suffered a 1-12 to 0-07 defeat by Loughrea.

[15] Donoghue was drafted in by Eamon O'Shea to help out with a variety of coaching and statistics roles with the Tipperary senior hurling team in 2014.

[25] On 6 August 2017, Galway qualified for the 2017 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Final after a one-point victory over Tipperary in the semi-final.

On 3 September 2017, Donoghue and his Galway team were crowned All Ireland Champions after defeating Waterford on a 0-26 to 2-17 scoreline in the final.

[30] In an unexpected announcement issued on the morning of 22 August 2022, Donoghue was appointed on a three-year term as Dublin senior hurling team manager.

[31][32] Donoghue stepped down as Dublin manager on 8 August 2024,[33] just under seven weeks after his side were knocked out of the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship at the quarter-final stage by eventual runners-up Cork.