Irish Cup
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| Organising body | Irish Football Association |
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| Founded | 1881 |
| Region |  Ireland (1881–1921) Northern Ireland (since 1921) |
| Number of teams | 129 (2015–16) |
| International cup(s) | UEFA Europa League |
| Current champions | Glenavon |
| Most successful club(s) | Linfield (42 titles) |
| Television broadcasters | BBC Sport (highlights & live final) |
| Website | Irish Cup |
 2016–17
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The Irish Football Association Challenge Cup (also known as the Tennent's Irish Cup for sponsorship purposes) is the national 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. Glenavon are the current holders after beating Linfield 2–0 in the 2016 final.
Since December 2015, the cup has been sponsored by Tennent's Lager – the competition's first title sponsor since 2012. It was previously sponsored by Nationwide Building Society, Bass Ireland Ltd and JJB Sports. 129 clubs entered the 2015–16 competition.
Different formats and rules have been used in the past in respect of eligibility to enter the competition, the number of teams and rounds, replays, extra time, penalties, etc. The competition begins in August or September with the first round, and ends with the final in May of the following year. The competition is open to all clubs in Northern Ireland with intermediate or senior status. Clubs obtain such status by meeting minimum criteria laid down by the Irish Football Association in respect of facilities, etc. Each club, for example, must have its own enclosed ground. Members of the NIFL Premier Intermediate League and all regional league entrants from level 4 and below enter in the first round, sometimes necessitating byes into the second round, depending on the number of entrants. The 24 senior members of the Northern Ireland Football League are exempt until the fifth round, which consists of 32 clubs and is played in January.
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