Cork faced Clare in the provincial decider in 1977, on a day when armed robbers made away with the takings from the gate of £24,579 during the second half of the game. Clare conceded an early penalty but they fought back to take the lead until a red card for full back Jim Power turned the tide for Cork and they eventually won by 4–15 to 4–10, with McDonnell collecting a fifth winners' medal. He was dropped from the starting fifteen for Cork's subsequent All-Ireland campaign, however, he did collect a third All-Ireland medal as a non-playing substitute following Cork's 1–17 to 3–8 defeat of Wexford.