Buckley first played hurling at juvenile and underage levels with Newtownshandrum. After winning the inaugural Cork U21HC title with the club in 1973, he progressed to adult level. Buckley was part of the Newton intermediate teams that won the Cork IHC titles in 1976 and as team captain in 1981. His performances at club level also saw him line out for the Avondhu divisional team.
