Patrick Donnellan was born in either 1916, as it says on the family search site, or 1912 as on his headstone. He was born in Aughnacloy, Parish of Drumsnat, Co. Monaghan to James Donnellan and Mary Ellen Beggan.

At some point, like many young men and women from Ireland, he came to England, to make a life for himself. He settled in Lincoln and worked as a steel erector. It was while at work that he was the victim of a tragic accident that was to end his short life. Below is the news story, from 1940, about the accident. It says he was 27, which would put his birth year closer to 1912.