Global InformationIrish Cup information
| Organising body | Irish Football Association |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1881 |
| Region |  Northern Ireland (since 1921) Ireland (1881–1921) |
| Number of teams | 129 (2023–24) |
| International cup(s) | UEFA Europa Conference League |
| Current champions | Cliftonville (2023–24) |
| Most successful club(s) | Linfield (44 titles) |
| Television broadcasters | BBC Sport (highlights & 3 live games including final) |
| Website | Irish Cup |
 2023–24 | |
The Irish Football Association Challenge Cup,[1] commonly referred to as the Irish Cup[2] (currently known as the Clearer Water 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.
Since 3 October 2023, the cup has been sponsored by Clearer Water.[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] and Samuel Gelston's Irish Whiskey.
Cliftonville are the current holders after defeating Linfield 3–1 in the 2024 final.[7]
- ^ "Irish FA Challenge Cup Rules – Season 2014–15". Irish Football Association. irishfa.com. Archived from the original on 1 February 2015. Retrieved 7 January 2015.
- ^ "Samuel Gelston's Whiskey Irish Cup". Irish Football Association. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
- ^ "Clearer Water becomes new Irish Cup title sponsor". Irish FA. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
- ^ "Cup sponsors' collapse to hit Irish Football Association". BBC Sport. BBC. 2 October 2012. Retrieved 24 December 2012.
- ^ "IFA unveils Tennent's as new sponsor of Irish Cup". 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.
- ^ "Hale hits double as Reds beat Linfield in Irish Cup final". BBC Sport. 4 May 2024.