FAI Cup

FAI Cup

Organising body	Football Association of Ireland
Founded	1921–22
Region	Republic of Ireland
Number of teams	40
Current champions	Cork City F.C. (3rd title)
Most successful club(s)	Shamrock Rovers (24 titles)
Website	FAI Cup
2017 FAI Cup

The Football Association of Ireland Senior Challenge Cup (FAI Cup), known as the Irish Daily Mail FAI Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a knock-out association football competition contested annually by teams from the Republic of Ireland (as well as Derry City from Northern Ireland). Organised by the FAI (Football Association of Ireland), the competition is currently sponsored by the Irish Daily Mail. It was known as the Free State Cup from 1923 to 1936. Shamrock Rovers hold the record of most wins with 24.

As of November 2016, the current holders are Cork City FC.

Since the early 1920s, all but a handful of FAI Cup finals were held at Dalymount Park, Dublin. Two replays in the 1920s were held at Shelbourne Park, the 1973 replay was held in Flower Lodge in Cork and the 1984 replay was in Tolka Park. However, since 1990, due to the lack of development of Dalymount, the final has been played at a number of different venues. From 1990 until 1997 it was played at Lansdowne Road stadium, from 1997–1999 back at Dalymount, from 1999 to 2002 at Tolka Park and from 2003 to 2006 back at Lansdowne Road. Due to the redevelopment of Lansdowne, the 2007 and 2008 finals were played at the RDS Arena. The 2009 final took place in Tallaght Stadium. Finals from 2010 onwards are to take place in the Aviva Stadium.

Shelbourne, Bohemians and Derry City are the only clubs to have won both the (Northern) Irish Cup and the FAI Cup, although Shelbourne and Bohemians only won it before partition, while Derry City remained in the Northern Irish league system until 1973, entering the League of Ireland in 1985. Alton United based in Belfast and Derry City are the only sides from outside the Republic of Ireland to win the competition.

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