Part of a rich collection of young talents that have emerged from his club St Finbarr’s recently, Buckley’s role has grown in prominence for this U20 team. Was terrific last Friday night in shooting 0-9, six from play, in the semi-final success against Clare, supplying some vital scores near the end as Cork mounted their comeback. Recent seasons have been defined by achievement for Buckley; All-Ireland minor glory in 2021, a county senior with St Finbarr’s in 2022, and U20 honours last year in Cork colours.
This season has seen Buckley shoot 0-25 across five games for Cork, also showcasing his long-range striking from placed balls. It’s already been a memorable hurling campaign for McCarthy. In February he captained Nenagh CBS to a historic Dr Harty Cup victory as they stunned Ardscoil Rís in the decider with a late goal.
The Toomevara youngster shot 0-20, seven from play, across their semi-final and final wins, proving a central figure in those pressure knockout games. His form has not dipped since shifting to inter-county duties. To date McCarthy has fired 1-28 in Tipperary’s four outings.
Free-taking has swelled that tally, but also illustrated his leadership skills, and his overall attacking contribution have been pivotal to Tipperary’s progress. A talented player that Cork will need to keep a close eye on. Like team-mate Buckley, Healy has followed a similar career path with Cork outfits, a minor breakthrough in 2021 and further development to impress at U2.