David Buckley has had a marvellous 2023

SINCE the Bon Secours Hospital SAFC was introduced in 2020 trying to pick an outright winner for the competition is like doing the lotto every season.

This year was no different but by the end of it, one of the fancied sides came out on top in Newcestown, made more remarkable given they were relegated from the top flight in 2022 and history has shown teams that drop down find it difficult to bounce back up straight away.

Newcestown bucked that trend in 2023 helped in no small part by the contribution of their marksman David Buckley, with the Cork senior football panellist finishing as top scorer in the championship. Despite being the dead ball specialist on the team, Buckley also finished top of the pile from play, so it shows it wasn’t just his frees that helped the team in red and gold win the county. 

Newcestown played six championship outings, with Buckley landing an incredible 0-37 (0-20 f). His county final display was outstanding, as he kicked points from all angles as Newcestown beat their West Cork rivals Dohenys on a scoreline of 0-13 to 0-8 with Buckley registering 0-9 (0-3 f). But for people who know the young forward, that dazzling display in the decider back in November came as no surprise. He has consistently performed for his club, he very rarely doesn’t have an effect on a game.

Even when Newcestown got demoted from the premier senior football grade in 2022, he was without doubt Newcestown’s best player during that tough campaign. The Carbery club lost out to Éire Óg in the relegation playoff by two points, 2-10 to 0-14 with Buckley very nearly dragging his side over the line as he landed 0-6 (0-3 f). It would have been particularly tough for the 22-year-old given he grew up and lives in Ovens and would be friends with a couple of the Éire Óg players. He made up for the disappointment this year, and would have certainly caught the attention of Cork senior football boss John Cleary. 

Buckley has been on the panel with a couple of years, but his performances for Newcestown in 2023 would have pushed him to the forefront of Cleary’s thoughts with the Rebels now back in preseason training ahead of the new season. Buckley started the first three Allianz football league Division 2 games in 2022 under the then manager Keith Ricken, but suffered an injury and has struggled to force his way back into contention since. He will be all out to impress the Cork management as he looks to be in the shake up for the 2024 season.

Buckley is still relatively young and has many years ahead of him wearing the Rebel geansaí if everything works out. On the face of it, he has everything you need in a modern day footballer. He has the physicality, height and raw talent and has no problem kicking points off his left or right foot. And it’s not just about his scoring either, this scribe covered Newcestown’s semi-final win over Newmarket and the final victory over Dohenys this year and while Buckley has always been a solid performer, his all round game has evolved with his work rate extremely impressive in those two matches.

It was a dream season for Buckley, as well as being a good footballer, he isn’t a bad hurler either. He played a major part in Newcestown claiming the Co-Op SuperStores SAHC title as they beat Blarney in the final after a replay. A remarkable campaign for the team in red and gold as they completed the double in the space of two weeks, winning the hurling and then the football.

Despite guiding the team to the SAFC title, manager Tim Buckley, father of the aforementioned David, has called time on his two-year stint as boss. Kevin Mulcahy, the coach of the team, has also departed. The club's search for a replacement for Buckley has started in earnest as Newcestown prepare for the top flight in both codes in 2024.