Lehane first appeared for the Midleton club at underage levels, winning a county minor championship medal in 2010 before claiming county under-21 championship medals in 2011 and 2013. As a member of the Midleton senior team he also won a county senior championship medal in 2013.
Having played for Cork at under-15 and under-17 levels, Lehane was just sixteen when he was selected for the Cork minor team. He played for two championship seasons with the minor team. Lehane subsequently enjoyed a three-year stint with the Cork under-21 team. By this stage he had also joined the Cork senior team, making his debut during the 2011 Waterford Crystal Cup. Since then Lehane has become a regular member of the starting fifteen. An All-Ireland runner-up in 2013, he won Munster medals in 2014 and 2017.
During his tenure at University College Cork, Lehane played a key role for the university's various hurling teams.
In 2012 he was at full-forward when UCC faced fierce local rivals Cork Institute of Technology in the final of the All-Ireland Freshers Championship. Lehane chipped in with 0-6 to secure a 1-24 to 3-13 extra time victory.[2]
He progressed onto the UCC senior team during the 2012-13 college year, and lined out in the final of the Fitzgibbon Cup. Mary Immaculate College were the surprise opponents, however, tradition prevailed and UCC retained their title with a 2-17 to 2-12 victory.with Lehane giving a Man of the Match performance.[3] It was Lehane's first Fitzgibbon Cup medal.
Midleton
Lehane plays his club hurling with Midleton and has enjoyed some success at underage levels.
In 2010 Lehane won a county minor championship with the club, following a 1-15 to 0-12 defeat of Na Piarsaigh.[4]
Lehane had joined the club's under-21 team by 2011, and won a divisional under-21 championship. Midleton later secured the county under-21 championship, following a 1-11 to 0-8 defeat of Duhallow.[5]
In 2013 Lehane completed his collection of county medals as he helped Midletion win a first senior county title since 1991 after victory over Sarsfield's with a Man of the Match display, scoring 2.10. He also won another county under-21 championship as captain, defeating Blackrock.[6]
Cork
Minor and under-21
Lehane first came to prominence on the inter-county scene as a member of the Cork minor hurling team. He enjoyed little success in this grade before subsequently moving onto the county's under-21 side.
Senior
Lehane was just 18-years-old when he was added to the Cork senior hurling team. He made his first appearance at left wing-forward on 23 January 2011 and scored six points in the 3-17 to 1-22 defeat of University College Cork in the Waterford Crystal Cup.[7] On 17 April, he made his first appearance in the National Hurling League when he came on as a 50th-minute substitute for Cian McCarthy in a 1-15 to 1-14 defeat of Dublin.[8] A knee injury and the completion of the Leaving Certificate ruled him out of further action, however, he made his championship debut on 9 July in a 2-23 to 1-14 All-Ireland Qualifier defeat by Galway.[9][10]
On 6 May 2012, Lehane lined out in the National League final. He was held scoreless at right wing-forward in the 3-21 to 0-16 defeat by Kilkenny.[11]
Lehane lined out in his first Munster Championship final on 14 July 2013. He was substituted in the 41st minute and Cork eventually lost the game by 0-24 to 0-15.[12] On 8 September, Lehane lined out at left corner-forward against Clare in the All-Ireland final. He scored 1-01 in the 3-16 to 0-25 draw.[13] Lehane was again at left corner-forward for the replay on 28 September and scored two points in the 5-16 to 3-16 defeat.[14] He ended the season by being nominated for an All-Star.[15]
On 3 July 2014, Lehane won a Munster Championship medal after scoring five points in Cork's 2-24 to 0-24 defeat of Limerick in the last final to be played at the old Páirc Uí Chaoimh.[16] He ended the season by being nominated for an All-Star.[17]
On 3 May 2015, Lehane was at full-forward in Cork's 1-24 to 0-17 defeat by Waterford in the National League final.[18]
Lehane won his second Munster Championship medal on 9 July 2017 in the 1-25 to 1-20 defeat of Clare in the final.[19] He ended the season by being nominated for an All-Star.[20]
On 1 July 2018, Lehane won a third Munster Championship medal following a 2-24 to 3-19 defeat of Clare in the final.[21]
On 7 December 2020, it was reported in the Irish Examiner that Lehane would not be involved with the Cork senior hurling team for the 2021 season.[22]