Donald obtained his B.A. in history and English at Maynooth. He has been County Librarian in County Waterford since 1982 and is particularly interested in the preservation and collation of the historical resources of the county. He was director of the West Waterford Heritage Week in 1991 and 1992, and was co-ordinator of Waterford County Council's Famine Commemoration Programme.

He is editor of Hansard's History of Waterford; Memoirs of the lives and characters of the illustrious family of the Boyles and co-editor of The Famine in Waterford 1845-1850. A guide to Waterford Writers was published in June 2006 and a new edition of Smith's History of Waterford was published in 2008.The Book of Lismore: an introduction was published in 2010 and launched in Lismore Castle on 25th February.

Donald spoke on Cinema in Waterford and the Work of Pat O'Connor at the Immrama Festival in Lismore in 2006, The Book of Lismore in 2007 and The Lismore Papers in 2008. He spoke on Films and Film-making in 2009. He is currently researching the Life and Work of Regina Maria Roche and will give a talk to celebrate the centenary and life and work of Una Troy on 21st May in the Copper Coast.

This year for Immrama, his talk will be on The Boyle Women: "An exploration of the lives of Alice, Joan, Katherine, Mary, Lettice, Sarah, Dorothy and Margaret, the eight daughters of Richard Boyle:  women who not only illustrate the essential part played by women in early Modern Europe but particularly through the stunning experiences of Katherine and Mary had a major influence on the philosophical, scientific, theological, and social environment of their time."

He served on the National Woodstown Working Group.

Donald retired from the post of County Librarian on 31st December, 2009.