Irish Cup
The Irish Football Association Challenge Cup,[1] commonly referred to as the Irish Cup[2] (currently known as the Samuel Gelston's Whiskey Irish Cup for sponsorship purposes) is the primary football knock-out cup competition in Northern Ireland. Inaugurated in 1881, it is the fourth-oldest national cup competition in the world. Prior to the break-away from the Irish Football Association by clubs from what would become the Irish Free State in 1921, the Irish Cup was the national cup competition for the whole of Ireland.
| Organising body | Irish Football Association |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1881 |
| Region | Northern Ireland (since 1921) Ireland (1881–1921) |
| Number of teams | 128 (2021–22) |
| International cup(s) | UEFA Europa Conference League |
| Current champions | Crusaders (2021–22) |
| Most successful club(s) | Linfield (44 titles) |
| Television broadcasters | BBC Sport (highlights & 3 live games including final) |
| Website | Irish Cup |
| 2022–23 | |
Since 30 November 2021, the cup has been sponsored by Samuel Gelston's Irish Whiskey.[3] It was previously sponsored by Nationwide Building Society, Bass Ireland Ltd, JJB Sports,[4] Tennent's Lager[5] and Sadler's Peaky Blinder.[6] 126 clubs entered the 2018–19 competition.
Crusaders are the current holders, after they defeated Ballymena United 2–1 in the 2022 final to win the competition for a 5th time.
Format
During the cup's history, different formats and rules have been used in respect of eligibility to enter the competition, the number of teams and rounds, replays, extra time, penalties, etc. The competition is open to all IFA-affiliated clubs with intermediate or senior status. Clubs obtain such status by meeting minimum criteria laid down by the IFA in respect of facilities, etc. Each club, for example, must have its own enclosed ground. The competition usually begins in August or September with the first qualifying round, and ends with the final in May of the following year. Clubs from level 3 (the NIFL Premier Intermediate League) and all regional league entrants from level 4 and below enter in the first qualifying round. These clubs play against each other over four qualifying rounds, until 8 clubs remain. The 8 fourth qualifying round winners then join the 24 senior clubs from levels 1 and 2 of the Northern Ireland Football League in the first round of the main competition, which consists of 32 clubs and is played in January.[1]
The competition has always been played in a randomly-drawn knock-out format. Depending on the number of entrants, the draw sometimes necessitates byes in the earlier rounds. If a team receives a bye, they automatically get drawn first in the following round to avoid the possibility of a team receiving multiple byes. The team drawn first from each tie hosts the match, except in the case of an intermediate team from level 3 or below being drawn first against a senior team from levels 1 or 2. In that scenario, the tie is played at the ground of the 'senior' team. In all ties that finish level after 90 minutes, extra time is played and (if necessary) penalties are used to decide the winner.[1] Both semi-finals and the final are usually played at Windsor Park.
The winners qualify to represent Northern Ireland in the following season's UEFA Europa Conference League, subject to the club attaining a UEFA licence. However, if they have already qualified for a UEFA competition by finishing as champions or runners-up of the NIFL Premiership, or if they do not attain a UEFA licence, the Irish Cup's Europa Conference League berth is redistributed to the third-placed Premiership club, and the 4th–7th placed clubs participate in the Premiership's Europa Conference League play-offs.[7]
History
The Irish Cup was inaugurated in the 1880–81 season, with seven clubs taking part. The draw for the first round took place on 10 January 1881, with the first ever Irish Cup matches being played on 5 February 1881. The trophy was first awarded to Moyola Park (from Castledawson in County Londonderry) when they beat Cliftonville (from Belfast) 1–0 in the final at Cliftonville Cricket Ground, Belfast on 9 April 1881. Since its inception, the Irish Cup has always been, and continues to be, considered the most important such competition in Northern Ireland (and, prior to 1921, Ireland), second only to the NIFL Premiership. The cup final is the climax of the domestic season in Northern Ireland and usually attracts the biggest attendance of any club match.
Since the inception of the Irish Football League in 1890–91 (and excluding the First and Second World War years when the League was suspended), the Cup has been won by Irish League clubs on every occasion except three famous ‘giant-killing’ occasions when "junior" clubs beat senior opponents in the final: in 1928, Willowfield beat Larne 1–0; in 1955, Dundela beat Glenavon 3–0; and in 1976, Carrick Rangers beat Linfield 2–1. In the early years, Army regiments stationed in Ireland entered teams such as King's Own Rifles (Cork), three of which reached the final: the Gordon Highlanders in 1890, the Black Watch (Limerick) in 1892 and the Sherwood Foresters (Curragh, County Kildare) in 1897. The Gordon Highlanders were the only Army team to win the Cup.
Between 1881 and 1921 when the Irish Cup was an all-Ireland competition, southern clubs (from what would become the Irish Free State and later the Republic of Ireland) only won the competition four times out of a possible 41: Shelbourne (from Dublin) won three times (in 1906, 1911 and 1920); and Bohemians (also from Dublin) won it in 1908. There were two all-southern finals: Bohemians defeating Shelbourne in 1908, and Shelbourne defeating Bohemians in 1911 (both ties required replays). Shelbourne, Bohemians and Derry City are the only clubs to win both the Irish Cup and the FAI Cup. Other Dublin clubs to compete in the Irish Cup were Dublin University, St. James's Gate, Dublin Association, Tritonville and Richmond Rovers.
In the second competition in 1881–82, Queen's Island became the first Belfast club to win the Cup and it did not leave Belfast again for another 24 years, when in 1905–06, Shelbourne became the first club from Dublin to win it. Of the 141 competitions played to date, Belfast clubs have won the cup 104 times; 73.8% of all competitions. The last time a club from outside Belfast won the cup was in 2018, when Coleraine beat Cliftonville 3–1 to win the cup for the sixth time. The cup's most successful club from outside Belfast is Glenavon, with seven wins.[n 1]
In the early years of the competition the final was played at several different venues in Belfast, including the Oval, Solitude, Grosvenor Park and Celtic Park, as well as Dalymount Park in Dublin. Since 1996, the final has been played exclusively at Windsor Park, except for the 2015 and 2021 finals. The 2015 final had to be switched to the Oval, following the discovery of damage to a stand at the usual Windsor Park venue,[8] while the 2021 final was moved to Mourneview Park, Lurgan for the first time due to maintenance works at Windsor Park, including a new playing surface being laid. This was the first final to be played outside Belfast since 1975, when Coleraine won the Cup with a 1–0 victory over Linfield in the second replay, after 1–1 and 0–0 draws in the first two games. The first final ever played outside Belfast took place in 1903, when Distillery won their 7th Irish Cup with a 3–1 victory over Bohemians at Dalymount Park, Dublin.
All six counties in Northern Ireland have been represented in the final. Moyola Park from County Londonderry were inaugural winners in 1881. In 1921, Glenavon became the first club from County Armagh to reach the final, but no club from Armagh won the Cup until Glenavon in 1957. County Down's first Cup finalists and winners were Ards in 1927; and County Antrim's were Ballymena in 1929. In 2007, Dungannon Swifts became the first club from County Tyrone to reach the final, and in 2019, Ballinamallard United became the first team from County Fermanagh to reach the final, completing the set.
Prior to replays being abolished in the final, a replay was required to decide the winner of 21 finals, the first in 1890 after Cliftonville and the Gordon Highlanders drew 2–2. Of the 21 finals to be replayed, eight of them required a second replay to separate the two finalists. The last time this occurred, and the last final replay ever played before they were abolished was in 1993, when Bangor defeated Ards 1–0 after two 1–1 draws. It was decided after this that there should only be one replay in which penalties would be used to determine the winner if necessary, and eventually the rules were changed to remove final replays altogether, with penalties being used if necessary after extra time in the first match. The first (and to date, only) final to be won on penalties took place in 2007, when Linfield beat Dungannon Swifts 3–2 on penalties following a 2–2 draw after extra time. In 2014, the rules were changed to abolish replays from the entire competition. All ties level after 90 minutes now use 30 minutes of extra time, and if necessary, a penalty shoot-out to determine the winner.
The final was not played on three occasions:
- In 1912, Linfield were awarded the Cup after the other three semi-finalists (Cliftonville, Glentoran and Shelbourne) resigned from the IFA in a dispute over the amount of money paid to Linfield for hosting international matches.
- In 1920, Shelbourne, who had beaten Glenavon in one semi-final, were awarded the Cup after the other semi-final was declared null and void as both of the clubs involved were ejected from the competition: Belfast Celtic after Celtic fans fired shots at Glentoran supporters during a riot, and Glentoran for fielding an unlisted player.
- In 1999, Portadown were awarded the Cup when the other finalists, Cliftonville, were ejected from the competition after it was discovered that they had fielded an ineligible player, Simon Gribben, during the earlier rounds.
A total of 24 different clubs have won the Cup, but only 13 clubs have done so more than once. 34 different clubs have reached the final, with 12 of them appearing only once. Of those 12 clubs, five of them have won the Cup in their sole final appearance. On five occasions the same two clubs have reached the final in consecutive years: in 1885 and 1886, Distillery and Alexander; in 1913 and 1914, Glentoran and Linfield; in 1930 and 1931, Ballymena United and Linfield; Coleraine and Glentoran in 2003 and 2004; and in 2011 and 2012 Linfield and Crusaders. The most common final has been between Glentoran and Linfield, which has occurred 15 times. Linfield have won eight of the meetings, with Glentoran winning seven. The last time both clubs reached the final was in 2006, when Linfield won 2–1.
In 2001, the final was broadcast live on television for the first time on BBC Northern Ireland and has been on every occasion since
Windsor Park has hosted the most finals (75, including replays), followed by The Oval with 25, and Solitude with 23.
Records
Most wins: 44, Linfield
Most consecutive wins: 4, Glentoran (1985, 1986, 1987 & 1988)
Most appearances in a final: 64, Linfield[n 2]
Most consecutive appearances in a final: 5, Linfield (1891, 1892, 1893, 1894 & 1895)
Most defeats in a final: 21, Linfield
Most consecutive defeats in a final: 3, Linfield (1975, 1976 & 1977)
Biggest win in a final: Linfield 10–1 Bohemians (1895)
Longest gap between wins in a final: 70 years, Cliftonville (1909 and 1979)
Longest gap between appearances in a final: 55 years, Bangor (1938 and 1993)
Most appearances in a final without winning: 6, Larne (1928, 1935, 1987, 1989, 2005 & 2021)
Most common pair of finalists: Glentoran v Linfield – 15 times (1899, 1913, 1914, 1916, 1919, 1923, 1932, 1942, 1945, 1966, 1973, 1983, 1985, 2001 & 2006)
Final results
Key:
| Scores level after 90 minutes. A replay was required. | |
| (a.e.t.) | Scores level after extra time. A replay was required. |
| (a.e.t.) | Scores level after 90 minutes. Winner was decided in extra time with no penalty shootout required. |
| pens. | Scores level after extra time. A penalty shootout was required to determine the winner. |
| # | Season | Date | Winner (number of titles) | Score | Runner-up | Venue | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1880–81 | 9 April 1881 | Moyola Park (1) | 1 – 0 | Cliftonville | Cliftonville Cricket Ground, Belfast | 1,500 |
| 2 | 1881–82 | 13 May 1882 | Queen's Island (1881) (1) | 1 – 0 | Cliftonville | Ulster Cricket Ground, Belfast | 2,000 |
| 3 | 1882–83 | 5 May 1883 | Cliftonville (1) | 5 – 0 | Ulster | Bloomfield Ground, Knock, Belfast | 2,000 |
| 4 | 1883–84 | 19 April 1884 | Distillery (1) | 5 – 0 | Wellington Park | Ulster Cricket Ground, Belfast | 2,000 |
| 5 | 1884–85 | 21 March 1885 | Distillery (2) | 3 – 0 | Limavady | 2,000 | |
| 6 | 1885–86 | 27 March 1886 | Distillery (3) | 1 – 0 | Limavady | 1,000 | |
| 7 | 1886–87 | 12 February 1887 | Ulster (1) | 3 – 0 | Cliftonville | Broadway Ground, Belfast | 4,000 |
| 8 | 1887–88 | 17 March 1888 | Cliftonville (2) | 2 – 1 | Distillery | Ulster Cricket Ground, Belfast | 3,000 |
| 9 | 1888–89 | 16 March 1889 | Distillery (4) | 5 – 4 | YMCA | 3,500 | |
| 10 | 1889–90 | 8 March 1890 | Gordon Highlanders (1) | 2 – 2 | Cliftonville | 4,500 | |
| Replay | 12 April 1890 | 3 – 1 | Ulsterville, Belfast | 3,500 | |||
| 11 | 1890–91 | 14 March 1891 | Linfield (1)** | 4 – 2 | Ulster | Solitude, Belfast | 5,000 |
| 12 | 1891–92 | 12 March 1892 | Linfield (2)** | 7 – 0 | The Black Watch | 5,500 | |
| 13 | 1892–93 | 11 March 1893 | Linfield (3)** | 5 – 1 | Cliftonville | Ulsterville, Belfast | |
| 14 | 1893–94 | 17 March 1894 | Distillery (5) | 2 – 2 | Linfield | Solitude, Belfast | 5,500 |
| Replay | 18 April 1894 | 3 – 2 | |||||
| 15 | 1894–95 | 23 March 1895 | Linfield (4)** | 10 – 1 | Bohemians | 2,000 | |
| 16 | 1895–96 | 14 March 1896 | Distillery (6)** | 3 – 1 | Glentoran | 6,000 | |
| 17 | 1896–97 | 20 March 1897 | Cliftonville (3) | 3 – 1 | Sherwood Foresters | Grosvenor Park, Belfast | 5,000 |
| 18 | 1897–98 | 19 March 1898 | Linfield (5)** | 2 – 0 | St Columb's Hall Celtic | The Oval, Belfast | 3,000 |
| 19 | 1898–99 | 18 March 1899 | Linfield (6) | 2 – 1 | Glentoran | Solitude, Belfast | 7,000 |
| 20 | 1899–1900 | 24 March 1900 | Cliftonville (4) | 2 – 1 | Bohemians | Grosvenor Park, Belfast | 5,500 |
| 21 | 1900–01 | 13 April 1901 | Cliftonville (5) | 1 – 0 | Freebooters | Grosvenor Park, Belfast[9][10] | 5,500 |
| 22 | 1901–02 | 15 March 1902 | Linfield (7)** | 5 – 1 | Distillery | Solitude, Belfast | 8,000 |
| 23 | 1902–03 | 14 March 1903 | Distillery (7)** | 3 – 1 | Bohemians | Dalymount Park, Dublin | 6,000 |
| 24 | 1903–04 | 17 March 1904 | Linfield (8)** | 5 – 1 | Derry Celtic | Grosvenor Park, Belfast | 6,000 |
| 25 | 1904–05 | 11 March 1905 | Distillery (8) | 3 – 0 | Shelbourne | Solitude, Belfast | 12,000 |
| 26 | 1905–06 | 28 April 1906 | Shelbourne (1) | 2 – 0 | Belfast Celtic | Dalymount Park, Dublin | 8,000 |
| 27 | 1906–07 | 23 March 1907 | Cliftonville (6) | 0 – 0 | Shelbourne | Celtic Park, Belfast | 12,900 |
| Replay | 20 April 1907 | 1 – 0 | Dalymount Park, Dublin | 10,000 | |||
| 28 | 1907–08 | 21 March 1908 | Bohemians (1) | 1 – 1 | Shelbourne | 8,000 | |
| Replay | 28 March 1908 | 3 – 1 | 9,000 | ||||
| 29 | 1908–09 | 3 April 1909 | Cliftonville (7) | 0 – 0 | Bohemians | Windsor Park, Belfast | 3,000 |
| Replay | 10 April 1909 | 2 – 1 | Dalymount Park, Dublin | 15,000 | |||
| 30 | 1909–10 | 26 March 1910 | Distillery (9) | 1 – 0 | Cliftonville | The Oval, Belfast | 10,000 |
| 31 | 1910–11 | 25 March 1911 | Shelbourne (2) | 0 – 0 | Bohemians | Dalymount Park, Dublin | 16,000[11] |
| Replay | 15 April 1911 | 2 – 1 | |||||
| 1911–12 | Linfield (9) | Final not played.[n 3] | |||||
| 32 | 1912–13 | 29 March 1913 | Linfield (10) | 2 – 0 | Glentoran | Celtic Park, Belfast | 20,000 |
| 33 | 1913–14 | 28 March 1914 | Glentoran (1) | 3 – 1 | Linfield | Grosvenor Park, Belfast | 20,000 |
| 34 | 1914–15 | 27 March 1915 | Linfield (11) | 1 – 0 | Belfast Celtic | Solitude, Belfast | 20,000[12] |
| 35 | 1915–16 | 25 March 1916 | Linfield (12) | 1 – 1 | Glentoran | Celtic Park, Belfast | |
| Replay | 1 April 1916 | 1 – 0 | Grosvenor Park, Belfast | ||||
| 36 | 1916–17 | 31 March 1917 | Glentoran (2) | 2 – 0 | Belfast Celtic | Windsor Park, Belfast | 20,000 |
| 37 | 1917–18 | 30 March 1918 | Belfast Celtic (1) | 0 – 0 | Linfield | The Oval, Belfast | 17,500 |
| Replay | 13 April 1918 | 0 – 0 | Solitude, Belfast | 14,000 | |||
| 2nd replay | 24 April 1918 | 2 – 0 | Grosvenor Park, Belfast | 11,000 | |||
| 38 | 1918–19 | 29 March 1919 | Linfield (13) | 1 – 1 | Glentoran | Celtic Park, Belfast | 18,000 |
| Replay | 5 April 1919 | 0 – 0 | Grosvenor Park, Belfast | ||||
| 2nd replay | 7 April 1919 | 2 – 1 | Solitude, Belfast | ||||
| 1919–20 | Shelbourne (3) | Final not played.[n 4] | |||||
| 39 | 1920–21 | 26 March 1921 | Glentoran (3)** | 2 – 0 | Glenavon | Windsor Park, Belfast | |
| 40 | 1921–22 | 25 March 1922 | Linfield (14)** | 2 – 0 | Glenavon | The Oval, Belfast | 5,000 |
| 41 | 1922–23 | 31 March 1923 | Linfield (15)** | 2 – 0 | Glentoran | Solitude, Belfast | |
| 42 | 1923–24 | 29 March 1924 | Queen's Island (1)** | 1 – 0 | Willowfield | Windsor Park, Belfast | 10,000 |
| 43 | 1924–25 | 21 March 1925 | Distillery (10) | 2 – 1 | Glentoran | Solitude, Belfast | 20,000 |
| 44 | 1925–26 | 27 March 1926 | Belfast Celtic (2)** | 3 – 2 | Linfield | 15,000 | |
| 45 | 1926–27 | 26 March 1927 | Ards (1) | 3 – 2 | Cliftonville | The Oval, Belfast | |
| 46 | 1927–28 | 31 March 1928 | Willowfield (1) | 1 – 1 | Larne | Windsor Park, Belfast | |
| Replay | 25 April 1928 | 1 – 0 | 12,000 | ||||
| 47 | 1928–29 | 30 March 1929 | Ballymena (1) | 2 – 1 | Belfast Celtic | Solitude, Belfast | |
| 48 | 1929–30 | 29 March 1930 | Linfield (16)** | 4 – 3 | Ballymena | Celtic Park, Belfast | |
| 49 | 1930–31 | 28 March 1931 | Linfield (17) | 3 – 0 | Ballymena | The Oval, Belfast | 20,211 |
| 50 | 1931–32 | 26 March 1932 | Glentoran (4) | 2 – 1 | Linfield | Celtic Park, Belfast | |
| 51 | 1932–33 | 8 April 1933 | Glentoran (5) | 1 – 1 | Distillery | Windsor Park, Belfast | 27,000 |
| Replay | 12 April 1933 | 1 – 1 | 25,000 | ||||
| 2nd replay | 28 April 1933 | 3 – 1 | 21,000 | ||||
| 52 | 1933–34 | 14 April 1934 | Linfield (18)** | 5 – 0 | Cliftonville | The Oval, Belfast | 18,500 |
| 53 | 1934–35 | 6 April 1935 | Glentoran (6) | 0 – 0 | Larne | Windsor Park, Belfast | 15,000 |
| Replay | 10 April 1935 | 0 – 0 | 8,000 | ||||
| 2nd replay | 30 April 1935 | 1 – 0 | 10,545 | ||||
| 54 | 1935–36 | 4 April 1936 | Linfield (19) | 0 – 0 | Derry City | Celtic Park, Belfast | 22,000 |
| Replay | 8 April 1936 | 2 – 1 (a.e.t.) | 14,000 | ||||
| 55 | 1936–37 | 10 April 1937 | Belfast Celtic (3)** | 3 – 0 | Linfield | The Oval, Belfast | 15,540 |
| 56 | 1937–38 | 9 April 1938 | Belfast Celtic (4)** | 0 – 0 | Bangor | Solitude, Belfast | 12,000 |
| Replay | 7 May 1938 | 2 – 0 | 10,000 | ||||
| 57 | 1938–39 | 29 April 1939 | Linfield (20) | 2 – 0 | Ballymena United | 17,500 | |
| 58 | 1939–40 | 20 April 1940 | Ballymena United (1) | 2 – 0 | Glenavon | Windsor Park, Belfast | |
| 59 | 1940–41 | 26 April 1941 | Belfast Celtic (5) | 1 – 0 | Linfield | 12,000 | |
| 60 | 1941–42 | 18 April 1942 | Linfield (21) | 3 – 1 | Glentoran | Celtic Park, Belfast | |
| 61 | 1942–43 | 17 April 1943 | Belfast Celtic (6) | 1 – 0 | Glentoran | Windsor Park, Belfast | |
| 62 | 1943–44 | 17 April 1944 | Belfast Celtic (7) | 3 – 1 | Linfield | 25,240 | |
| 63 | 1944–45 | 14 April 1945 | Linfield (22) | 4 – 2 | Glentoran | Celtic Park, Belfast | 20,000 |
| 64 | 1945–46 | 13 April 1946 | Linfield (23) | 3 – 0 | Distillery | 20,137 | |
| 65 | 1946–47 | 26 April 1947 | Belfast Celtic (8) | 1 – 0 | Glentoran | Windsor Park, Belfast | 25,000 |
| 66 | 1947–48 | 10 April 1948 | Linfield (24) | 3 – 0 | Coleraine | Celtic Park, Belfast | 31,000 |
| 67 | 1948–49 | 16 April 1949 | Derry City (1) | 3 – 1 | Glentoran | Windsor Park, Belfast | 27,000 |
| 68 | 1949–50 | 22 April 1950 | Linfield (25)** | 2 – 1 | Distillery | 17,000 | |
| 69 | 1950–51 | 28 April 1951 | Glentoran (7)** | 3 – 1 | Ballymena United | 25,000 | |
| 70 | 1951–52 | 26 April 1952 | Ards (2) | 1 – 0 | Glentoran | 23,000 | |
| 71 | 1952–53 | 25 April 1953 | Linfield (26) | 5 – 0 | Coleraine | Solitude, Belfast | 21,000 |
| 72 | 1953–54 | 24 April 1954 | Derry City (2) | 2 – 2 | Glentoran | Windsor Park, Belfast | 35,000 |
| Replay | 29 April 1954 | 0 – 0 | 30,827 | ||||
| 2nd replay | 10 May 1954 | 1 – 0 | 28,000 | ||||
| 73 | 1954–55 | 23 April 1955 | Dundela (1) | 3 – 0 | Glenavon | 10,000 | |
| 74 | 1955–56 | 21 April 1956 | Distillery (11) | 2 – 2 | Glentoran | 20,000 | |
| Replay | 26 April 1956 | 1 – 1 | 15,000 | ||||
| 2nd replay | 30 April 1956 | 1 – 0 | 12,000 | ||||
| 75 | 1956–57 | 13 April 1957 | Glenavon (1)** | 2 – 0 | Derry City | 25,000 | |
| 76 | 1957–58 | 26 April 1958 | Ballymena United (2) | 2 – 0 | Linfield | The Oval, Belfast | 24,000 |
| 77 | 1958–59 | 18 April 1959 | Glenavon (2) | 1 – 1 | Ballymena United | Windsor Park, Belfast | 18,000 |
| Replay | 29 April 1959 | 2 – 0 | 15,000 | ||||
| 78 | 1959–60 | 30 April 1960 | Linfield (27) | 5 – 1 | Ards | The Oval, Belfast | 17,000 |
| 79 | 1960–61 | 22 April 1961 | Glenavon (3) | 5 – 1 | Linfield | Solitude, Belfast | 18,000 |
| 80 | 1961–62 | 14 April 1962 | Linfield (28)** | 4 – 0 | Portadown | The Oval, Belfast | 23,000 |
| 81 | 1962–63 | 20 April 1963 | Linfield (29) | 2 – 1 | Distillery | 20,000 | |
| 82 | 1963–64 | 25 April 1964 | Derry City (3) | 2 – 0 | Glentoran | Windsor Park, Belfast | 19,000 |
| 83 | 1964–65 | 24 April 1965 | Coleraine (1) | 2 – 1 | Glenavon | 12,000 | |
| 84 | 1965–66 | 23 April 1966 | Glentoran (8) | 2 – 0 | Linfield | The Oval, Belfast | 20,000 |
| 85 | 1966–67 | 22 April 1967 | Crusaders (1) | 3 – 1 | Glentoran | Windsor Park, Belfast | 20,000 |
| 86 | 1967–68 | 27 April 1968 | Crusaders (2) | 2 – 0 | Linfield | The Oval, Belfast | 18,000 |
| 87 | 1968–69 | 19 April 1969 | Ards (3) | 0 – 0 | Distillery | Windsor Park, Belfast | 17,000 |
| Replay | 23 April 1969 | 4 – 2 (a.e.t.) | 16,000 | ||||
| 88 | 1969–70 | 4 April 1970 | Linfield (30) | 2 – 1 | Ballymena United | Solitude, Belfast | 12,000 |
| 89 | 1970–71 | 3 April 1971 | Distillery (12) | 3 – 0 | Derry City | Windsor Park, Belfast | 6,000 |
| 90 | 1971–72 | 22 April 1972 | Coleraine (2) | 2 – 1 | Portadown | 8,000 | |
| 91 | 1972–73 | 28 April 1973 | Glentoran (9) | 3 – 2 | Linfield | 12,000 | |
| 92 | 1973–74 | 27 April 1974 | Ards (4) | 2 – 1 | Ballymena United | 7,000 | |
| 93 | 1974–75 | 19 April 1975 | Coleraine (3) | 1 – 1 | Linfield | The Showgrounds, Ballymena | 5,600 |
| Replay | 23 April 1975 | 0 – 0 | 5,400 | ||||
| 2nd replay | 29 April 1975 | 1 – 0 | 5,200 | ||||
| 94 | 1975–76 | 10 April 1976 | Carrick Rangers (1) | 2 – 1 | Linfield | The Oval, Belfast | 9,000 |
| 95 | 1976–77 | 23 April 1977 | Coleraine (4) | 4 – 1 | Linfield | 10,000 | |
| 96 | 1977–78 | 29 April 1978 | Linfield (31)** | 3 – 1 | Ballymena United | 12,000 | |
| 97 | 1978–79 | 28 April 1979 | Cliftonville (8) | 3 – 2 | Portadown | Windsor Park, Belfast | 18,000 |
| 98 | 1979–80 | 26 April 1980 | Linfield (32)** | 2 – 0 | Crusaders | The Oval, Belfast | 12,000 |
| 99 | 1980–81 | 2 May 1981 | Ballymena United (3) | 1 – 0 | Glenavon | Windsor Park, Belfast | 6,000 |
| 100 | 1981–82 | 24 April 1982 | Linfield (33)** | 2 – 1 | Coleraine | The Oval, Belfast | 12,000 |
| 101 | 1982–83 | 30 April 1983 | Glentoran (10) | 1 – 1 | Linfield | Windsor Park, Belfast | 12,000 |
| Replay | 7 May 1983 | 2 – 1 | The Oval, Belfast | 8,000 | |||
| 102 | 1983–84 | 5 May 1984 | Ballymena United (4) | 4 – 1 | Carrick Rangers | Windsor Park, Belfast | 5,000 |
| 103 | 1984–85 | 4 May 1985 | Glentoran (11) | 1 – 1 | Linfield | The Oval, Belfast | 12,000 |
| Replay | 11 May 1985 | 1 – 0 | Windsor Park, Belfast | 12,000 | |||
| 104 | 1985–86 | 3 May 1986 | Glentoran (12) | 2 – 1 | Coleraine | 8,000 | |
| 105 | 1986–87 | 2 May 1987 | Glentoran (13) | 1 – 0 | Larne | 8,000 | |
| 106 | 1987–88 | 30 April 1988 | Glentoran (14)** | 1 – 0 | Glenavon | 10,000 | |
| 107 | 1988–89 | 6 May 1989 | Ballymena United (5) | 1 – 0 | Larne | The Oval, Belfast | 5,000 |
| 108 | 1989–90 | 5 May 1990 | Glentoran (15) | 3 – 0 | Portadown | Windsor Park, Belfast | 12,000 |
| 109 | 1990–91 | 4 May 1991 | Portadown (1)** | 2 – 1 | Glenavon | 12,000 | |
| 110 | 1991–92 | 2 May 1992 | Glenavon (4) | 2 – 1 | Linfield | The Oval, Belfast | 12,000 |
| 111 | 1992–93 | 1 May 1993 | Bangor (1) | 1 – 1 (a.e.t.) | Ards | Windsor Park, Belfast | 8,500 |
| Replay | 8 May 1993 | 1 – 1 (a.e.t.) | 6,000 | ||||
| 2nd replay | 11 May 1993 | 1 – 0 | 5,000 | ||||
| 112 | 1993–94 | 7 May 1994 | Linfield (34)** | 2 – 0 | Bangor | The Oval, Belfast | 10,000 |
| 113 | 1994–95 | 6 May 1995 | Linfield (35) | 3 – 1 | Carrick Rangers | 6,800 | |
| 114 | 1995–96 | 4 May 1996 | Glentoran (16) | 1 – 0 | Glenavon | Windsor Park, Belfast | 10,000 |
| 115 | 1996–97 | 3 May 1997 | Glenavon (5) | 1 – 0 | Cliftonville | 8,222 | |
| 116 | 1997–98 | 2 May 1998 | Glentoran (17) | 1 – 0 (a.e.t.) | Glenavon | 8,250 | |
| 1998–99 | Portadown (2) | Final not played.[n 5] | |||||
| 117 | 1999–2000 | 6 May 2000 | Glentoran (18) | 1 – 0 | Portadown | Windsor Park, Belfast | 8,355 |
| 118 | 2000–01 | 5 May 2001 | Glentoran (19) | 1 – 0 (a.e.t.) | Linfield | 14,190 | |
| 119 | 2001–02 | 11 May 2002 | Linfield (36) | 2 – 1 | Portadown | 11,129 | |
| 120 | 2002–03 | 3 May 2003 | Coleraine (5) | 1 – 0 | Glentoran | 9,000 | |
| 121 | 2003–04 | 1 May 2004 | Glentoran (20) | 1 – 0 | Coleraine | 8,300 | |
| 122 | 2004–05 | 7 May 2005 | Portadown (3) | 5 – 1 | Larne | 5,431 | |
| 123 | 2005–06 | 6 May 2006 | Linfield (37)** | 2 – 1 | Glentoran | 12,500 | |
| 124 | 2006–07 | 5 May 2007 | Linfield (38)** | 2 – 2 (a.e.t.) (3 – 2 pens.) | Dungannon Swifts | 7,600 | |
| 125 | 2007–08 | 3 May 2008 | Linfield (39)** | 2 – 1 | Coleraine | 8,452 | |
| 126 | 2008–09 | 9 May 2009 | Crusaders (3) | 1 – 0 | Cliftonville | 8,820 | |
| 127 | 2009–10 | 8 May 2010 | Linfield (40)** | 2 – 1 | Portadown | 7,940 | |
| 128 | 2010–11 | 7 May 2011 | Linfield (41)** | 2 – 1 | Crusaders | 8,200 | |
| 129 | 2011–12 | 5 May 2012 | Linfield (42)** | 4 – 1 | Crusaders | 7,325 | |
| 130 | 2012–13 | 4 May 2013 | Glentoran (21) | 3 – 1 (a.e.t.) | Cliftonville | 9,825 | |
| 131 | 2013–14 | 3 May 2014 | Glenavon (6) | 2 – 1 | Ballymena United | 7,282 | |
| 132 | 2014–15 | 2 May 2015 | Glentoran (22) | 1 – 0 | Portadown | The Oval, Belfast | 8,072 |
| 133 | 2015–16 | 7 May 2016 | Glenavon (7) | 2 – 0 | Linfield | Windsor Park, Belfast | 11,500 |
| 134 | 2016–17 | 6 May 2017 | Linfield (43)** | 3 – 0 | Coleraine | 12,551 | |
| 135 | 2017–18 | 5 May 2018 | Coleraine (6) | 3 – 1 | Cliftonville | 12,012 | |
| 136 | 2018–19 | 4 May 2019 | Crusaders (4) | 3 – 0 | Ballinamallard United | 5,744 | |
| 137 | 2019–20 | 31 July 2020[n 6] | Glentoran (23) | 2 – 1 (a.e.t.) | Ballymena United | 500[n 6] | |
| 138 | 2020–21 | 21 May 2021 | Linfield (44)** | 2 – 1 | Larne | Mourneview Park, Lurgan | 1,000[n 7] |
| 139 | 2021–22 | 7 May 2022 | Crusaders (5) | 2 – 1 (a.e.t.) | Ballymena United | Windsor Park, Belfast | 7,598 |
Winners marked with ** denotes a league and cup double
Statistics
Performance by club
Clubs in italics no longer compete for the cup. Either they no longer exist, or they now play under the jurisdiction of the League of Ireland
Total cups won by town or city
24 different clubs have won the cup, with the overwhelming majority of winners being clubs from Belfast.
| Town or city | Number of cups won | Clubs |
|---|---|---|
| Belfast | 105 | Linfield (44), Glentoran (23), Distillery[n 1](12), Cliftonville (8), Belfast Celtic (8), Crusaders (5), Ulster (1), Willowfield (1), Dundela (1), Queen's Island (1881) (1), Queen's Island (1920) (1) |
| Lurgan | 7 | Glenavon (7) |
| Coleraine | 6 | Coleraine (6) |
| Ballymena | 6 | Ballymena United (5), Ballymena (1)[n 8] |
| Dublin | 4 | Shelbourne (3), Bohemians (1) |
| Newtownards | 4 | Ards (4) |
| Derry | 3 | Derry City (3) |
| Portadown | 3 | Portadown (3) |
| Bangor | 1 | Bangor (1) |
| Carrickfergus | 1 | Carrick Rangers (1) |
| Castledawson | 1 | Moyola Park (1) |
| British Army | 1 | Gordon Highlanders (1) |
Final venues
There have been 139 Irish Cup finals contested during the 142 competitions completed thus far, as the final was not played on three occasions. In addition, 29 final replays have been contested, for a total of 168 matches played at thirteen different grounds. Windsor Park has been the most common venue, having hosted 76 finals including replays.
| Venue | Number of finals (including replays) | First final | Last final |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windsor Park | 76 | 1908–09 | 2021–22 |
| The Oval | 26 | 1897–98 | 2014–15 |
| Solitude | 22 | 1890–91 | 1969–70 |
| Celtic Park | 12 | 1906–07 | 1947–48 |
| Dalymount Park | 8 | 1902–03 | 1910–11 replay |
| Grosvenor Park | 8 | 1896–97 | 1918–19 replay |
| Ulster Cricket Ground | 7 | 1881–82 | 1889–90 |
| Ballymena Showgrounds | 3 | 1974–75 | 1974–75 second replay |
| Ulsterville | 2 | 1889–90 replay | 1892–93 |
| Bloomfield | 1 | 1882–83 | 1882–83 |
| Broadway Ground | 1 | 1886–87 | 1886–87 |
| Cliftonville Cricket Ground | 1 | 1880–81 | 1880–81 |
| Mourneview Park | 1 | 2020–21 | 2020–21 |
Notes
- ^ a b Distillery, now based outside Belfast (in Ballyskeagh) and known as Lisburn Distillery, won the Cup 12 times while still based in Belfast.
- ^ a b Linfield have won the Cup 44 times and been runners-up 21 times. However, as the final was not played in 1911–12 they have only appeared in 64 finals.
- ^ Linfield were awarded the Cup after the other three semi-finalists (Cliftonville, Glentoran and Shelbourne) resigned from the IFA in a dispute over referee's wages.
- ^ Shelbourne, who had beaten Glenavon in one semi-final, were awarded the Cup after the other semi-final was declared null and void as both of the teams involved were ejected from the competition: Belfast Celtic after their fans fired shots at Glentoran supporters during a riot, and Glentoran for fielding an unlisted player.
- ^ Portadown were awarded the Cup when the other finalists, Cliftonville, were ejected from the competition after it was discovered that they had fielded an ineligible player during the earlier rounds.
- ^ a b Final was delayed until 31 July 2020, and attendance was restricted to 500 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic in Northern Ireland.
- ^ Attendance was restricted to 1,000 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic in Northern Ireland.
- ^ a b c Ballymena United F.C. were formed immediately after Ballymena F.C. dissolved in 1934, following expulsion from the league. Generally, Ballymena United assume the history of the previous club, however technically they were two different entities.
- ^ Portadown have won the Cup 3 times and been runners-up 8 times. However, as the final was not played in 1998–99 they have only appeared in 10 finals.
- ^ Shelbourne have won the Cup 3 times and been runners-up 3 times. However, as the final was not played in 1919–20 they have only appeared in 5 finals.
- ^ Including one final as St Columb's Hall Celtic.
References
- ^ a b c "Irish FA Challenge Cup Rules – Season 2014–15". Irish Football Association. irishfa.com. Retrieved 7 January 2015.
- ^ "Samuel Gelston's Whiskey Irish Cup". Irish Football Association. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
- ^ "Irish Cup first round draw set to be streamed live". Irish FA. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
- ^ "Cup sponsors' collapse to hit Irish Football Association". BBC Sport. BBC. 2 October 2012. Retrieved 24 December 2012.
- ^ . Irish Football Association. irishfa.com. 11 December 2015. Archived from the original on 27 January 2016. Retrieved 19 January 2016.
- ^ "Irish Cup first round draw set to be streamed live". Irish Football Association. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
- ^ (PDF). NIFL. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 March 2019. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
- ^ "Irish Cup final switched to the Oval". BBC Sport. 10 April 2015. Retrieved 10 April 2015.
- ^ Irish Times, April 13, 1901
- ^ The Association of Football Statisticians 1900–1901 Annual (AFS, 1985)
- ^ http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000038/19110328/005/0003 – via British Newspaper Archive.
{{cite news}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ^ http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000038/19150329/005/0003[bare URL]
External links
- Northern Ireland Cup Finals – RSSSF