Minor and under-21
McDonnell first played for Cork at minor level during the 2007 Championship,a year which also saw him captain the team. He made his first appearance on 2 May when he played at left wing-back in Cork's 3-15 to 0-09 defeat of Waterford. On 8 July,McDonnell was at midfield for Cork's 0-18 to 1-11 Munster Championship final defeat by Tipperary. [8] After being substituted in that game,he was dropped from the starting fifteen for the subsequent All-Ireland Championship and replaced as captain by Ryan Clifford. On 2 September,McDonnell started the All-Ireland final against Tipperary on the bench but was introduced as a 24th-minute substitute in the 3-14 to 2-11 defeat. [9]
On 2 June 2010,McDonnell made his first appearance for the Cork under-21 team in a 1-16 to 1-03 defeat of Waterford in the Munster Championship. [10]
Senior
McDonnell was drafted onto the Cork senior panel by team manager Denis Walsh in advance of the 2011 season. He made his first appearance for the team on 13 February 2011 when he lined out at right corner-back in a 1-20 to 1-15 defeat of Offaly in the first round of the National League. [11] McDonnell made six league appearances and was retained when Walsh named his panel for the 2011 Munster Championship. He made his championship debut at right corner-back on 29 May 2011 in a 3-22 to 0-23 defeat by Tipperary. [12]
The 2012 National League saw McDonnell play a regular role on Cork's starting fifteen. On 6 May 2012,he was selected at full-back for Cork's 3-21 to 0-16 defeat by Kilkenny in the league final. [13] McDonnell missed the subsequent Munster Championship defeat by Tipperary,however,he returned to the starting fifteen for the latter stages of the All-Ireland Championship where he again lined out at full-back.
On 14 July 2013,McDonnell lined out in his first Munster final,a game which saw Cork suffer a 0-24 to 0-15 defeat by Limerick. [14] In spite of that defeat,Cork subsequently qualified for the All-Ireland final against Clare,with McDonnell lining out at right corner-back in the 3-16 to 0-25 draw. [15] He was selected in the same position for the replay,which Cork lost by 5-16 to 3-16. [16]
The 2014 season saw McDonnell secure his first silverware as Cork won the Munster Championship title after a 2-24 to 0-24 win over Limerick in the last final to be played at the old Páirc UíChaoimh. [17] He ended the season by being nominated for an All-Star. [18]
McDonnell made five appearances for Cork during the 2015 National League campaign,including at left corner-back in Cork's 1-24 to 0-17 defeat by Waterford in the league final. [19] He lined out in all of Cork's subsequent championship games during their unsuccessful campaign. On 3 November 2015,McDonnell was appointed captain of the Cork senior hurling team. [20] A broken elbow sustained in a challenge match ruled McDonnell out of Cork's opening Munster Championship game,while his first season as captain ended with a first championship defeat for Cork by Wexford in 60 years. [21] [22]
McDonnell retained the captaincy of the team for the 2017 season. He won his second Munster Championship medal on 9 July following a 1-25 to 1-20 defeat of Clare in the final. [23] In December,McDonnell announced that he was leaving the Cork panel. Team manager John Meyler said:"Stephen’s not in our plans. He’s taking time out in 2018 so he won’t be available." [24] After a one-year absence,it was announced in November 2018 that McDonnell would be returning to the Cork panel for the 2019 season. [25] He made eight league and championship appearances after making his return.
The 2020 season saw McDonnell fail to make a single appearance during the National League. He was again an unused substitute for Cork's Munster Championship defeat by Waterford before coming off the bench in both of Cork's qualifier games. On 6 January 2021,McDonnell announced his retirement from inter-county hurling. [26] [27]
