About Irish Cup

The Irish Football Association Irish Cup is the main domestic knockout football competition in Northern Ireland and one of the oldest national cup tournaments in the world. Founded in 1881, the competition originally served as the national cup for the whole island of Ireland before the partition in 1921. Today, it remains one of the most prestigious trophies in Northern Irish football and is organized by the Irish Football Association.

The tournament follows a straight knockout format and includes clubs from multiple levels of the Northern Irish football pyramid. Over its long history, clubs such as Linfield FC, Glentoran FC, and Cliftonville FC have enjoyed major success in the competition. Linfield is the most successful club in Irish Cup history with a record number of titles, while many memorable finals and giant-killing stories have helped build the tournament’s strong tradition and popularity.

In the modern era, the Irish Cup continues to play an important role in Northern Irish football, with the winner qualifying for European competition. The final is traditionally one of the biggest sporting events in Northern Ireland each season and is widely covered by local media. Recent winners such as Dungannon Swifts FC and Coleraine FC have shown that smaller clubs can still compete successfully against the country’s traditional football powers.

Seasons

Season	Winner	Finalist	Score
2025-26	Coleraine FC	Dungannon Swifts FC	3-2
2024-25	Dungannon Swifts FC	Cliftonville FC	1-1, pen. 4-3
2023-24	Cliftonville FC	Linfield FC	3-1, aet
2022-23	Crusaders FC	Ballymena United FC	4-0
2021-22	Crusaders FC	Ballymena United FC	2-1, aet
2020-21	Linfield FC	Larne FC	2-1
2019-20	Glentoran FC	Ballymena United FC	2-1, aet
2018-19	Crusaders FC	Ballinamallard United FC	3-0
2017-18	Coleraine FC	Cliftonville FC	3-1
2016-17	Linfield FC	Coleraine FC	3-0
2015-16	Glenavon FC	Linfield FC	2-0
2014-15	Glentoran FC	Portadown FC	1-0
2013-14	Glenavon FC	Ballymena United FC	2-1
2012-13	Glentoran FC	Cliftonville FC	3-1, aet
2011-12	Linfield FC	Crusaders FC	4-1
2010-11	Linfield FC	Crusaders FC	2-1
2009-10	Linfield FC	Portadown FC	2-1
2008-09	Crusaders FC	Cliftonville FC	1-0
2007-08	Linfield FC	Coleraine FC	2-1
2006-07	Linfield FC	Dungannon Swifts FC	2-2, pen. 3-2
2005-06	Linfield FC	Glentoran FC	2-1
2004-05	Portadown FC	Larne FC	5-1
2003-04	Glentoran FC	Coleraine FC	1-0
2002-03	Coleraine FC	Glentoran FC	1-0
2001-02	Linfield FC	Portadown FC	2-1
2000-01	Glentoran FC	Linfield FC	1-0, aet
1999-00	Glentoran FC	Portadown FC	1-0
1998-99	Portadown FC	—	Final not played.
1997-98	Glentoran FC	Glenavon FC	1-0, aet
1996-97	Glenavon FC	Cliftonville FC	1-0
1995-96	Glentoran FC	Glenavon FC	1-0
1994-95	Linfield FC	Carrick Rangers FC	3-1
1993-94	Linfield FC	Bangor FC	2-0
1992-93	Bangor FC	Ards FC	1-1, 1-1, 1-0
1991-92	Glenavon FC	Linfield FC	2-1
1990-91	Portadown FC	Glenavon FC	2-1
1989-90	Glentoran FC	Portadown FC	3-0
1988-89	Ballymena United FC	Larne FC	1-0
1987-88	Glentoran FC	Glenavon FC	1-0
1986-87	Glentoran FC	Larne FC	1-0
1985-86	Glentoran FC	Coleraine FC	2-1
1984-85	Glentoran FC	Linfield FC	1-1, 1-0
1983-84	Ballymena United FC	Carrick Rangers FC	4-1
1982-83	Glentoran FC	Linfield FC	1-1, 2-1
1981-82	Linfield FC	Coleraine FC	2-1
1980-81	Ballymena United FC	Glenavon FC	1-0
1979-80	Linfield FC	Crusaders FC	2-0
1978-79	Cliftonville FC	Portadown FC	3-2
1977-78	Linfield FC	Ballymena United FC	3-1
1976-77	Coleraine FC	Linfield FC	4-1
1975-76	Carrick Rangers FC	Linfield FC	2-1
1974-75	Coleraine FC	Linfield FC	1-1, 0-0, 1-0
1973-74	Ards FC	Ballymena United FC	2-1
1972-73	Glentoran FC	Linfield FC	3-2
1971-72	Coleraine FC	Portadown FC	2-1
1970-71	Lisburn Distillery FC	Derry City FC	3-0
1969-70	Linfield FC	Ballymena United FC	2-1
1968-69	Ards FC	Lisburn Distillery FC	0-0, 4-2
1967-68	Crusaders FC	Linfield FC	2-0
1966-67	Crusaders FC	Glentoran FC	3-1
1965-66	Glentoran FC	Linfield FC	2-0
1964-65	Coleraine FC	Glenavon FC	2-1
1963-64	Derry City FC	Glentoran FC	2-0
1962-63	Linfield FC	Lisburn Distillery FC	2-1
1961-62	Linfield FC	Portadown FC	4-0
1960-61	Glenavon FC	Linfield FC	5-1
1959-60	Linfield FC	Ards FC	5-1
1958-59	Glenavon FC	Ballymena United FC	1-1, 2-0
1957-58	Ballymena United FC	Linfield FC	2-0
1956-57	Glenavon FC	Derry City FC	2-0
1955-56	Lisburn Distillery FC	Glentoran FC	2-2, 1-1, 1-0
1954-55	Dundela FC	Glenavon FC	3-0
1953-54	Derry City FC	Glentoran FC	2-2, 0-0, 1-0
1952-53	Linfield FC	Coleraine FC	5-0
1951-52	Ards FC	Glentoran FC	1-0
1950-51	Glentoran FC	Ballymena United FC	3-1
1949-50	Linfield FC	Lisburn Distillery FC	2-1
1948-49	Derry City FC	Glentoran FC	3-1
1947-48	Linfield FC	Coleraine FC	3-0
1946-47	Belfast Celtic FC	Glentoran FC	1-0
1945-46	Linfield FC	Lisburn Distillery FC	3-0
1944-45	Linfield FC	Glentoran FC	4-2
1943-44	Belfast Celtic FC	Linfield FC	3-1
1942-43	Belfast Celtic FC	Glentoran FC	1-0
1941-42	Linfield FC	Glentoran FC	3-1
1940-41	Belfast Celtic FC	Linfield FC	1-0
1939-40	Ballymena United FC	Glenavon FC	2-0
1938-39	Linfield FC	Ballymena United FC	2-0
1937-38	Belfast Celtic FC	Bangor FC	0-0, 2-0
1936-37	Belfast Celtic FC	Linfield FC	3-0
1935-36	Linfield FC	Derry City FC	0-0, 2-1, aet
1934-35	Glentoran FC	Larne FC	0-0, 0-0, 1-0
1933-34	Linfield FC	Cliftonville FC	5-0
1932-33	Glentoran FC	Lisburn Distillery FC	1-1, 1-1, 3-1
1931-32	Glentoran FC	Linfield FC	2-1
1930-31	Linfield FC	Ballymena FC	3-0
1929-30	Linfield FC	Ballymena FC	4-3
1928-29	Ballymena FC	Belfast Celtic FC	2-1
1927-28	Willowfield FC	Larne FC	1-1, 1-0
1926-27	Ards FC	Cliftonville FC	3-2
1925-26	Belfast Celtic FC	Linfield FC	3-2
1924-25	Lisburn Distillery FC	Glentoran FC	2-1
1923-24	Queen's Island FC	Willowfield FC	1-0
1922-23	Linfield FC	Glentoran FC	2-0
1921-22	Linfield FC	Glenavon FC	2-0
1920-21	Glentoran FC	Glenavon FC	2-0
1919-20	Shelbourne FC	—	Final not played
1918-19	Linfield FC	Glentoran FC	1-1, 0-0, 2-1
1917-18	Belfast Celtic FC	Linfield FC	0-0, 0-0, 2-0
1916-17	Glentoran FC	Belfast Celtic FC	2-0
1915-16	Linfield FC	Glentoran FC	1-1, 1-0
1914-15	Linfield FC	Belfast Celtic FC	1-0
1913-14	Glentoran FC	Linfield FC	3-1
1912-13	Linfield FC	Glentoran FC	2-0
1911-12	Linfield FC	—	Final not played.
1910-11	Shelbourne FC	Bohemian FC	0-0, 2-1
1909-10	Lisburn Distillery FC	Cliftonville FC	1-0
1908-09	Cliftonville FC	Bohemian FC	0-0, 2-1
1907-08	Bohemian FC	Shelbourne FC	1-1, 3-1
1906-07	Cliftonville FC	Shelbourne FC	0-0, 1-0
1905-06	Shelbourne FC	Belfast Celtic FC	2-0
1904-05	Lisburn Distillery FC	Shelbourne FC	3-0
1903-04	Linfield FC	Derry Celtic FC	5-1
1902-03	Lisburn Distillery FC	Bohemian FC	3-1
1901-02	Linfield FC	Lisburn Distillery FC	5-1
1900-01	Cliftonville FC	Freebooters FC	1-0
1899-00	Cliftonville FC	Bohemian FC	2-1
1898-99	Linfield FC	Glentoran FC	2-2
1897-98	Linfield FC	Derry Celtic FC	2-0
1896-97	Cliftonville FC	Sherwood Foresters	3-1
1895-96	Lisburn Distillery FC	Glentoran FC	3-1
1894-95	Linfield FC	Bohemian FC	10-1
1893-94	Lisburn Distillery FC	Linfield FC	2-2, 3-2
1892-93	Linfield FC	Cliftonville FC	5-1
1891-92	Linfield FC	The Black Watch	7-0
1890-91	Linfield FC	Ulster FC	4-2
1889-90	Gordon Highlanders	Cliftonville FC	2-2, 3-1
1888-89	Lisburn Distillery FC	YMCA FC	5-4
1887-88	Cliftonville FC	Lisburn Distillery FC	2-1
1886-87	Ulster FC	Cliftonville FC	3-0
1885-86	Lisburn Distillery FC	Limavady FC	1-0
1884-85	Lisburn Distillery FC	Limavady FC	3-0
1883-84	Lisburn Distillery FC	Wellington Park FC	5-0
1882-83	Cliftonville FC	Ulster FC	5-0
1881-82	Queen's Island FC 1881	Cliftonville FC	1-0
1880-81	Moyola Park FC	Cliftonville FC	1-0

All-Time table

#	Club	Count	Years
1	Linfield FC	44	1890-91, 1891-92, 1892-93, 1894-95, 1897-98, 1898-99, 1901-02, 1903-04, 1911-12, 1912-13, 1914-15, 1915-16, 1918-19, 1921-22, 1922-23, 1929-30, 1930-31, 1933-34, 1935-36, 1938-39, 1941-42, 1944-45, 1945-46, 1947-48, 1949-50, 1952-53, 1959-60, 1961-62, 1962-63, 1969-70, 1977-78, 1979-80, 1981-82, 1993-94, 1994-95, 2001-02, 2005-06, 2006-07, 2007-08, 2009-10, 2010-11, 2011-12, 2016-17, 2020-21
		22	1893-94, 1913-14, 1917-18, 1925-26, 1931-32, 1936-37, 1940-41, 1943-44, 1957-58, 1960-61, 1965-66, 1967-68, 1972-73, 1974-75, 1975-76, 1976-77, 1982-83, 1984-85, 1991-92, 2000-01, 2015-16, 2023-24

2	Glentoran FC	23	1913-14, 1916-17, 1920-21, 1931-32, 1932-33, 1934-35, 1950-51, 1965-66, 1972-73, 1982-83, 1984-85, 1985-86, 1986-87, 1987-88, 1989-90, 1995-96, 1997-98, 1999-00, 2000-01, 2003-04, 2012-13, 2014-15, 2019-20
		19	1895-96, 1898-99, 1912-13, 1915-16, 1918-19, 1922-23, 1924-25, 1941-42, 1942-43, 1944-45, 1946-47, 1948-49, 1951-52, 1953-54, 1955-56, 1963-64, 1966-67, 2002-03, 2005-06

3	Lisburn Distillery FC	12	1883-84, 1884-85, 1885-86, 1888-89, 1893-94, 1895-96, 1902-03, 1904-05, 1909-10, 1924-25, 1955-56, 1970-71
		7	1887-88, 1901-02, 1932-33, 1945-46, 1949-50, 1962-63, 1968-69

4	Cliftonville FC	9	1882-83, 1887-88, 1896-97, 1899-00, 1900-01, 1906-07, 1908-09, 1978-79, 2023-24
		13	1880-81, 1881-82, 1886-87, 1889-90, 1892-93, 1909-10, 1926-27, 1933-34, 1996-97, 2008-09, 2012-13, 2017-18, 2024-25

5	Belfast Celtic FC	8	1917-18, 1925-26, 1936-37, 1937-38, 1940-41, 1942-43, 1943-44, 1946-47
		4	1905-06, 1914-15, 1916-17, 1928-29

6	Glenavon FC	7	1956-57, 1958-59, 1960-61, 1991-92, 1996-97, 2013-14, 2015-16
		10	1920-21, 1921-22, 1939-40, 1954-55, 1964-65, 1980-81, 1987-88, 1990-91, 1995-96, 1997-98

7	Coleraine FC	7	1964-65, 1971-72, 1974-75, 1976-77, 2002-03, 2017-18, 2025-26
		7	1947-48, 1952-53, 1981-82, 1985-86, 2003-04, 2007-08, 2016-17

8	Crusaders FC	6	1966-67, 1967-68, 2008-09, 2018-19, 2021-22, 2022-23
		3	1979-80, 2010-11, 2011-12

9	Ballymena United FC	5	1939-40, 1957-58, 1980-81, 1983-84, 1988-89
		10	1938-39, 1950-51, 1958-59, 1969-70, 1973-74, 1977-78, 2013-14, 2019-20, 2021-22, 2022-23

10	Ards FC	4	1926-27, 1951-52, 1968-69, 1973-74
		2	1959-60, 1992-93

11	Portadown FC	3	1990-91, 1998-99, 2004-05
		8	1961-62, 1971-72, 1978-79, 1989-90, 1999-00, 2001-02, 2009-10, 2014-15

12	Shelbourne FC	3	1905-06, 1910-11, 1919-20
		3	1904-05, 1906-07, 1907-08

13	Derry City FC	3	1948-49, 1953-54, 1963-64
		3	1935-36, 1956-57, 1970-71

14	Bohemian FC	1	1907-08
		5	1894-95, 1899-00, 1902-03, 1908-09, 1910-11

15	Ulster FC	1	1886-87
		2	1882-83, 1890-91

16	Ballymena FC	1	1928-29
		2	1929-30, 1930-31

17	Bangor FC	1	1992-93
		2	1937-38, 1993-94

18	Carrick Rangers FC	1	1975-76
		2	1983-84, 1994-95

19	Dungannon Swifts FC	1	2024-25
		2	2006-07, 2025-26

20	Willowfield FC	1	1927-28
		1	1923-24

21	Moyola Park FC	1	1880-81
		0	—

22	Queen's Island FC 1881	1	1881-82
		0	—

23	Gordon Highlanders	1	1889-90
		0	—

24	Queen's Island FC	1	1923-24
		0	—

25	Dundela FC	1	1954-55
		0	—

26	Larne FC	0	—
		6	1927-28, 1934-35, 1986-87, 1988-89, 2004-05, 2020-21

27	Limavady FC	0	—
		2	1884-85, 1885-86

28	Derry Celtic FC	0	—
		2	1897-98, 1903-04

29	Wellington Park FC	0	—
		1	1883-84

30	YMCA FC	0	—
		1	1888-89

31	The Black Watch	0	—
		1	1891-92

32	Sherwood Foresters	0	—
		1	1896-97

33	Freebooters FC	0	—
		1	1900-01

34	Ballinamallard United FC	0	—
		1	2018-19