'When you get selected, it's about expressing yourself': Buckley sparkles on Cork championship bow

Five from play. A sixth from the placed ball. An assist for one of fellow debutant Barry Walsh’s four. A superb catch of a Cork sideline to set up Alan Connolly’s 63rd minute point that completed their eight-in-a-row sequence. An absolute assassin on breaking ball and at the edge of crowded rucks. An absolute nuisance for a twisted, turned, and tormented Mikey Breen.

On this very same Thurles field 11 years ago, 19-year-old Cian Lynch took home the crystal on his introduction to senior championship hurling. Buckley went home to Togher with the same prize on Sunday evening, his confident contribution every bit as meritorious as the last newcomer to arrive in here and write headlines.

“Probably not, no, to be honest,” replied the 22-year-old when asked if he could have envisioned such an influential first championship day out.

“You just wanted to contribute your own bit. I was happy enough. It was great to get going and feeding off the lads, Alan, Brian, all of them. They were keen to give it to me, as well, so it was great.” 

There were no nerves coming up the road on Sunday morning. There was no lack of sleep on Saturday night. Earning selection was the hard part.

“We trained very hard for the last two weeks, even since the start of the year. So that is probably the hardest part - the training.

“When you get selected then, it is just about expressing yourself out there.” 

A help, surely, when so much of the inside spotlight is aimed at Hayes and Connolly. They are the established threats in the Cork full-forward line. They drew the attention of All-Star defenders Ronan Maher and Rob Doyle. Buckley’s greatest achievement was to wrestle the spotlight off both and focus it squarely on himself.

“The two lads are always going to be tied down, as in they are always going to be targeted. They are selfless players, and they both had great games, as well. It is just great to feed off them here and there.” 

The Barrs clubman added: “It was that hard running off the shoulder that we worked on, everyone in the backs and forwards played to that game, so it was great to be able to put it all together in the second half.

“It was all about winning here today and two points, and that is what we did.”