Buckley basks in special day for Kilkenny Hurling

The scenes on the pitch directly after the final whistle told their own story as Kilkenny outdid themselves in grabbing a last gasp Leinster final win over Galway in Croke Park.

It may have been a fourth provincial crown on the trot and a 75th in total - not to mention a first major prize for manager Derek Lyng - but the manner in how it all unfolded made it feel unique.

Cillian Buckley has been through it all in a senior Kilkenny jersey, but scoring a goal in the white heat of championship had eluded him until around 5.35pm on Sunday evening.

The Dicksboro man was perfectly placed to pounce on a Galway mistake to score the match winning goal, giving him an experience he’ll never forget.

“It was a moment that will live with me for the rest of my life,” he said in the aftermath of Sunday’s game. “There were lads piled up on top of me in the middle of Croke Park. Just to have that moment with your friends is something special.

“It is a special day.”

The three-time All-Ireland winner turns 31 next month and has overcome a host of niggling injuries to play his part on another Leinster winning Kilkenny team.

Looking back on the goal Buckley, who appeared as a 57th minute sub for Darragh Corcoran, remarked on the thought process before finding the net of the Davin Stand goal.

“I didn’t exactly hit a rasper or anything,” he added. “I didn’t know who was behind me, who was closing in on me, I didn’t have a full swing. It was a bottom corner trickle-in. I think that was the only place it could have went in and it did. I can’t say I practise those shots a whole lot!

“I don’t find myself up on the 14-yard line that often but look, after Mikey Butler did it earlier it gave all us in the backs a chance!

With the Bob O’Keeffe Cup safely back in Nowlan Park and after one or two days of celebrating no doubt, attention for Buckley and Kilkenny will soon switch to the aim of trying to win an All-Ireland title for the first time since 2015.

“I didn’t come back just to mind the lads. I came back to be part of the team to win an All-Ireland, to have the next four weeks and still be in with a shot of doing that is great.

“I want to be more than a father figure, I’ll tell you that much,” he said. “To get involved in the action was great - and I want more before the year is out.
“We were joking about age during the week,” he added. “I’m the seventh oldest on the team. There are six lads you can find that are older than me so I’m still going and doing alright!

“But look, they are a serious bunch of lads, you couldn’t want but to be involved in it,” he finished. “I want to stay going for as long as I can.”