Buckley first came to prominence at juvenile and underage levels with the Blackrock club.
After being a part of the inaugural Féile na nGael-winning team in 1971, he later enjoyed club championship successes at minor and under-21 levels.
[1] As a member of the Blackrock senior team, he won an All-Ireland Club Championship medal in 1979.
[3][4][5] He was drafted onto the Cork senior hurling team in 1979 and won a Munster Championship title as a substitute that year.
Buckley was also a part of Cork's National Hurling League success in 1980 before later being released from the panel.