League of Ireland Cup

The League of Ireland Cup (Irish: Corn Sraithe na hÉireann) is a football competition open to all League of Ireland clubs. Some invited clubs from the lower levels of the Republic of Ireland football league system participate and occasionally these sides have included junior league representative selections.

This article is about the tournament in the Republic of Ireland. For the equivalent tournament in Northern Ireland, see Northern Ireland Football League Cup.

League of Ireland Cup
Organising bodyFootball Association of Ireland
League of Ireland
Founded1973
Region Ireland
Number of teams24 (2018)
Current championsDundalk F.C
Most successful club(s)Derry City (11 titles)
2020 League of Ireland Cup

The format has changed from year to year. For the most part it has been used as a precursor to the league season, with 6 groups of 4 teams (geographically based), with the winners and two best runners up going on to the last eight (which started the knockout phase). The knockout stage would be played midweek through the season. In the late 1990s the cup went into a straight knockout format and recently has reverted to again starting with a group phase, this time with 8 groups of 3 with only the winners progressing. In 2006, the competition was once again contested on a straight knock-out basis, with a regionalised seeding system determining pairings and byes in the early rounds. The winners of the cup receive a €25,000 prize.

The League Cup Final has also changed format many times. They have been played on neutral grounds, with two-legged games and currently (and historically most times) a draw is made to see which finalist gets home advantage.

The competition began in 1973, replacing the earlier League of Ireland Shield.

From 2009, the League of Ireland Cup has been sponsored by Electronic Arts and branded for sponsorship reasons as the EA Sports Cup.[1]

List of League Cup Finals
Key to the list of finals
Score on aggregate after 2 legs
Match was won on a penalty shootout
Season Winner Score Runner-up Venue Attendance
1973/74 Waterford 2 – 1 Finn Harps
1974/75 Bohemians 3 – 2 Finn Harps
1975/76 Limerick 4 – 1 Sligo Rovers
1976/77 Shamrock Rovers 1 – 0 Sligo Rovers
1977/78 Dundalk 4 – 4 Cork Alberts
1978/79 Bohemians 2 – 0 Shamrock Rovers
1979/80 Athlone Town 4 – 2 St. Patrick's Athletic
1980/81 Dundalk 0 – 0 Galway Rovers
1981/82 Athlone Town 1 – 0 Shamrock Rovers
1982/83 Athlone Town 2 – 1 Dundalk
1983/84 Drogheda United 3 – 1 Athlone Town
1984/85 Waterford United 2 – 1 Finn Harps
1985/86 Galway United 2 – 0 Dundalk
1986/87 Dundalk 1 – 0 Shamrock Rovers
1987/88 Cork City 1 – 0 Shamrock Rovers
1988/89 Derry City 4 – 0 Dundalk
1989/90 Dundalk 1 – 1 Derry City
1990/91 Derry City 2 – 0 Limerick
1991/92 Derry City 1 – 0 Bohemians
1992/93 Limerick City 2 – 0 St. Patrick's Athletic
1993/94 Derry City 1 – 0 Shelbourne
1994/95 Cork City 2 – 1 Dundalk
1995/96 Shelbourne 2 – 2 Sligo Rovers
1996/97 Galway United 4 – 2 Cork City
1997/98 Sligo Rovers 1 – 0 Shelbourne
1998/99 Cork City 2 – 1 Shamrock Rovers
1999/00 Derry City 5 – 2 Athlone Town
2000/01 St. Patrick's Athletic 5 – 3 UCD
2001/02 Limerick F.C. 2 – 2 Derry City
2002/03 No Competition due to change in seasons
2003 St. Patrick's Athletic 1 – 0 Longford Town Richmond Park, Dublin
2004 Longford Town 2 – 1 Bohemians Flancare Park, Longford
2005 Derry City 2 – 1 UCD Belfield Park 2,150
2006 Derry City 0 – 0 Shelbourne Brandywell Stadium, Derry
2007 Derry City 1 – 0 Bohemians Brandywell Stadium, Derry 7,700
2008 Derry City 6 – 1 Wexford Youths Ferrycarrig Park, Crossabeg 3,500
2009 Bohemians 3 – 1 Waterford United Waterford Regional Sports Centre, Waterford 4,000
2010 Sligo Rovers 1 – 0 Monaghan United Showgrounds, Sligo 3,000
2011 Derry City 1 – 0 Cork City Turner's Cross, Cork 4,164
2012 Drogheda United 3 – 1 Shamrock Rovers Tallaght Stadium, Dublin 3,120
2013 Shamrock Rovers 2 – 0 Drogheda United Tallaght Stadium, Dublin 3,820
2014 Dundalk 3 – 2 Shamrock Rovers Oriel Park, Dundalk 3,500
2015 St Patrick's Athletic 0 – 0 Galway United Eamonn Deacy Park, Galway 3,662
2016 St Patrick's Athletic 4 – 1 Limerick Markets Field, Limerick 4,362
2017 Dundalk 3 - 0 Shamrock Rovers Tallaght Stadium, Dublin 4,102
2018 Derry City 3 - 1 Cobh Ramblers Brandywell Stadium, Derry 3,500 (est)
2019 Dundalk 2 – 2 Derry City Brandywell Stadium, Derry 3,500 (est)

Performance By Club
Club Winners Runners-up Winning Years Years runners up
Derry City 11 3 1988/89, 1990/91, 1991/92, 1993/94, 1999/00, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2018 1989/90, 2001/02, 2019
Dundalk 7 4 1977/78, 1980/81, 1986/87, 1989/90, 2014, 2017, 2019 1982/83, 1985/86, 1988/89, 1994/95
St. Patrick's Athletic 4 2 2000/01, 2003, 2015, 2016 1979/80, 1992/93
Bohemians 3 3 1974/75, 1978/79, 2009 1991/92, 2005, 2007
Athlone Town 3 2 1979/80, 1981/82, 1982/83 1983/84, 1999/2000
Cork City 3 2 1987/88, 1994/95, 1998/99 1996/97, 2011
Limerick 1 3 2 1975/76, 1992/93, 2001/02 1990/91, 2016
Shamrock Rovers 2 8 1976/77, 2013 1978/79, 1981/82, 1986/87, 1987/88, 1998/99, 2012, 2014, 2017
Sligo Rovers 2 3 1997/98, 2010 1975/76, 1976/77, 1995/96
Galway United 2 2 2 1985/86, 1996/97 1980/81, 2015
Waterford United 3 2 1 1973/74, 1984/85 2009
Drogheda United 2 1 1983/84, 2012 2013
Shelbourne 1 3 1995/96 1993/94, 1997/98, 2006
Longford Town 1 1 2004 2003
Finn Harps - 3 - 1973/74, 1974/75, 1984/85
UCD - 2 - 2000/01, 2005
Cork Alberts - 1 - 1977/78
Wexford Youths - 1 - 2008
Monaghan United - 1 - 2010
Cobh Ramblers - 1 - 2018
  • 1 Includes results for Limerick and Limerick City.
  • 2 Includes results for Galway Rovers.
  • 3 Includes results for Waterford FC.

Sponsors

Bass League Cup: 1975/1976 – 1978/79

Opel League Cup: 1986/87 – 1989/90

Bord Gáis League Cup: 1990/91/ – 1995/96

Harp Lager League Cup: 1996/97 – 1998/99

Eircom League Cup: 1999/00 – 2008

EA Sports Cup: 2009 –

Television coverage

The Final has been broadcast live since 2005, first by Setanta Sports, then since 2016 by its successor channel Eir Sport

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See also

References
  1. "EA SPORTS confirmed as new title sponsor of League of Ireland Cup". FAI. Retrieved 5 July 2009.
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