Donie Buckley

Style Buckley's background as civil engineer in County Clare has been attributed to his approach to coaching. O'Sullivan said in 2019: "Donie looks at football in a different way. He brought a different dimension to it, he brought a mathematical side to it. He used logic to analyse opposition and play to your own strengths. He was a big man for devising smallsided games where players got the opportunity to make decisions for themselves. It's common now but it wasn't then... Donie never stands still, he is pushing back his own concepts of the game the whole time. The game is always evolving so Donie will always evolve and find new ways, new approaches, new creativity. He never repeats anything." He studies American sports such as basketball and their own version of football. Buckley himself does not court publicity, the Irish Independent describing him as an "enigmatic character."

Honours Player All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship: 1985

Coach All-Ireland Senior Football Championship runner-up: 2011, 2016, 2017, 2019 Munster Senior Football Championship runner-up: 2009, 2010 All-Ireland Intermediate Club Football Championship: 2008 Clare Senior Football Championship: 1990, 1994

Personal life Married to Áine, the couple holiday in Florida each winter and Buckley plays golf.