James Donahue was born on April 9, 1882 in Corlea, Ireland, in the Parish of Kilbarron in the Diocese of Raphoe, Ballyshannon, County Donegal, Ireland. His parents were James Donagher and Mary Quinn. His parents were married in 1880 when James was 35 and Mary was a girl of 16. They lived in the "House on the Hill" in Corlea where thirteen children were born. The second oldest was "Papa Jim", the father, grandfather, great-grandfather, etc. of this Donahue Family Tree.
James & Mary (Quinn) Donagher

James had six sisters and six brothers. Most of them came to America except a sister, Roseanne (McCourt), the eldest, who moved to Derry and raised her family there. A brother Michael went to London and was killed in the Blitz during World War ll. His brother William (Willie) stayed at the family home in Corlea, and his son Willie and wife Isabelle are believed to still be at the House on the Hill. The other siblings, Mary (Raftery), Sara (Muldoon), Patrick, John Joseph (Joe), Bridget (Dolan), Margaret (twin of Bridget), Peter, Alice (Brooks), and Frank all came to America. Several of them kept the name of Donagher.

"Papa Jim" came to America through Ellis Island on the ship, Furnessia, which sailed from Londonderry, Ulster, Ireland. He arrived in New York on May 18, 1903 and gave his name as James Donagher and his age as 21.

He married Mary Ann Branley on April 14, 1909 at St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Jamaica Plain when he was 27 years old. On the marriage certificate his name was listed as James Donahue, so the spelling was changed from Donagher to Donahue at some point after his arrival. Patrick Branley, Mary Ann's brother, and Sara Donahue, his sister, were listed as the witnesses.