O'Donovan was the Chairman of the all-party Oireachtas Committee on the Constitution, established in December 2002 to review the Constitution. He has a degree in law from University College Cork and is a qualified solicitor.[1]
In June 2010, he lost the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party whip when he failed to support the government on the Dog Breeding Establishment bill.[3] He was a Fianna Fáil candidate at the 2011 general election for Cork South-West but was not elected. He was re-elected to the Seanad in April 2011. He was Leas-Chathaoirleach (Deputy Chairman) of the 24th Seanad.[4] He was re-elected again to Seanad Éireann on the Agricultural Panel in April 2016 and again in April 2020.