He played Gaelic football with his local club Ballylongford and was a member of the Kerry senior inter-county team from 1964 until 1974.
They would later go on to win the first ever Munster Senior Club Football Championship by beating Clare champions Cooraclare.
He 1962 while till a minor he won his first Munster Under-21 Football Championship after a win over Cork in the final.
[6] On the back of his displays at underage level he joined the Kerry senior team during the 1962–63 National Football League playing in three games but missing out on the final win over New York.
In the end a 2-11 to 1-08 win saw young O'Donoghue add a Munster senior medal to his collocation.
It was a repeat of the previous years semi-final, a game O'Donoghue didn't play in, and like then it was the same result as the men from the West took the title on a 0-15 to 0-10 scoreline.
[10] Come championship he missed the Munster semi-final win over Clare but was back in the starting lineup for the final.
[13] After losing out the previous two season O' Donoghue picked up his third Munster medal after a 1-21 to 3-08 win over Cork in the final.
[15] In the championship straightforward wins over Waterford and Cork seen O'Donoghue pick up his fourth Munster title in six seasons.
After being on the losing side three times 0-10 to 0-07 win saw O'Donoghue finally get his hands on an All-Ireland senior medal to add to his Minor and Under 21 titles.
While Kerry had struggled with Ulster teams in the 60s they made light work of the Derry men winning on a 0-23 to 0-10.
Kerry won convincingly on a 2-19 to 0-18 scoreline with late goals by Din Joe Crowley and Mick Gleeson.
[18] Despite being on course for three All-Ireland titles in a row Kerry's season came to a crashing end when they lost to Cork in the Munster final on a 0-25 to 0-14 scoreline.
[20] After the disappointment of 1971 O'Donoghue picked up his sixth Munster title after a win over holders Cork in the final.
He led his side to a third National Football League title in a row as Kerry got revenge on Offaly in the final.
[23] Kerry won the 1973-74 National Football League after a win over Roscommon in a re-play to give O'Donoghue his fourth in a row and fifth overall medal.