| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Country | Ireland |
| Date | 31 October 1896 – 20 March 1897 |
| Teams | 16 |
| Defending champions | Distillery |
| Final positions | |
| Champions | Cliftonville (3rd win) |
| Runners-up | Sherwood Foresters |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 14 |
| Goals scored | 72 (5.14 per match) |
The1896–97 Irish Cup was the 17th edition of theIrish Cup, the premier knock-out cup competition inIrishfootball.
Cliftonville won the tournament for the 3rd time, defeatingSherwood Foresters (aBritish Army team) 3–1 in the final.[1][2]
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
|---|---|---|
| St Columb's Court | 0–5 | Bright Stars |
| St Columb's Hall Celtic | 8–0 | Limavady |
| Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers | w/o | Strabane |
| Derry North End | bye |
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Bright Stars | 0–4 | St Columb's Hall Celtic |
| North End | w/o | Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers |
| Glentoran | 0–4 | Distillery |
| Linfield | 5–3 | North Staffordshire Regiment |
| Cliftonville | 7–1 | Celtic |
| Sherwood Foresters | 8–0 | Hibernians |
| Bohemians | bye |
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
|---|---|---|
| North End | 2–2 | St Columb's Hall Celtic |
| Cliftonville | 2–1 | Linfield |
| Bohemians | 0–1 | Sherwood Foresters |
| Distillery | bye |
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
|---|---|---|
| St Columb's Hall Celtic | 4–3 | North End |
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Cliftonville | 2–1 | Distillery |
| Sherwood Foresters | 3–2 | St Columb's Hall Celtic |
| Cliftonville | 3–1 | Sherwood Foresters |
|---|---|---|
| James Campbell Martin Pyper | Report | Bedford |