Buckley first played competitive Gaelic football with the Dohenys club in Dunmanway.
After divisional success in the under-21 grade, he eventually progressed onto the club's senior team.
[2] Buckley first appeared on the inter-county scene as a member of the Cork minor football team in 2016 before later lining out with the under-20 side.
[3] He first appeared on the inter-county scene when he was selected for the Cork senior football team for the pre-season McGrath Cup competition in 2022.
Buckley later earned inclusion on the team's National League panel.