| Organiser(s) | Football Association of Ireland |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1926 |
| Region |  Ireland |
| Domestic cup | Tom Hand Memorial Cup |
| Current champions | College Corinthians (1st Title) (2024–25) |
| Most championships | Avondale United (8 titles) |
| Website | FAI Intermediate Cup @ www.fai.ie |
TheFAI Intermediate Cup (Irish:Corn Comortais Peile na hÉireann),[1] also known as theFAI Umbro Intermediate Cup and thePat O'Brien Intermediate Challenge Cup, is acup competition organized by theFootball Association of Ireland for intermediateassociation football clubs from the Republic of Ireland. These include clubs competing in theLeinster Senior League and theMunster Senior League. It was originally known as theFAI Qualifying Cup and from the beginning it has been used as a qualifying competition for the seniorFAI Cup. It is currently sponsored byUmbro and has previously been sponsored byCarlsberg.
The competition was originally known as the FAI Qualifying Cup before it was renamed the FAI Intermediate Cup at the start of the 1931–32 season. The cup's first winners wereDrumcondra who beatCobh Ramblers in the inaugural 1926–27 final. Drumcondra, who at the time were playing in theLeinster Senior League, subsequently went onto complete a cup double when they defeatedBrideville 1–0 in the1926–27 FAI Cup final.[2][3][4] The competition continues to act a qualifying competition for theFAI Cup with clubs who reach the Round of Sixteen being invited to compete in the senior cup.[1][5]
In addition to being the inaugural winners,Drumcondra were also the first of several futureLeague of Ireland clubs to win the FAI Intermediate Cup.Cork Bohemians,Sligo Rovers,Longford Town,UCD,Cobh Ramblers,St Patricks Athletic,Albert Rovers,Bray Wanderers,Home Farm andCork Hibernians, playing as AOH, all subsequently won the cup before joining the national league.Athlone Town were also finalists on one occasion.Jacobs,St. James's Gate andTransport all won the cup after leaving the League of Ireland. With five wins, Longford Town were the competitions most successful club untilBluebell United equalled their record in 1999–2000 andAvondale United surpassed it in2013–14. Thereserve teams of League of Ireland clubs have also won the cup on several occasions. These includeBohemians,Shelbourne, Drumcondra and St Patrick's Athletic.Limerick B andUCD Reserves were also runners up.[3][4]
During the 2000s and 2010sAvondale United andCrumlin United have been the cup's most successful clubs. In2013–14 Avondale United became only the second club afterDistillery to win the cup four times in a row.[6][7] In 2012 the FAI introduced a new cup, the Tom Hand Memorial Cup, which saw the winners of the FAI Intermediate Cup play off against the winners of theFAI Junior Cup. Avondale United won the inaugural match, defeatingSheriff Y.C. 2–1 at theAUL Complex.[8][9]In 2014 it was announced that future finals would be hosted at theAviva Stadium.[10] The 2014–15 and 2015–16 finals were both played as double headers along with the FAI Junior Cup finals.[11][12]
| Club | Titles | Seasons |
|---|---|---|
| Avondale United | 8 | 1977–78, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2010–11,2011–12,2012–13,2013–14, 2018–19 |
| Rockmount | 5 | 1998–99, 2003–04, 2007–08, 2021-22, 2022-2023 |
| Bluebell United | 5 | 1981–82, 1989–90, 1992–93, 1993–94, 1999–2000 |
| Longford Town | 5 | 1936–37, 1954–55, 1959–60, 1961–62, 1968–69 |
| Crumlin United | 4 | 2008–09, 2009–10, 2014–15, 2015–16 |
| Distillery (Dublin) | 4 | 1938–39, 1939–40, 1940–41, 1941–42 |
| Home Farm | 3 | 1962–63, 1966–67, 1967–68 |
| St Patrick's Athletic | 3 | 1947–48, 1948–49, 1952–53 |
| Tramore Athletic | 3 | 1978–79, 1980–81, 1986–87 |
| Transport | 3 | 1963–64, 1965–66, 1973–74 |
| Wayside Celtic | 3 | 1995–96, 2000–01, 2004–05 |
| Albert Rovers | 2 | 1953–54, 1958–59 |
| Bray Wanderers | 2 | 1955–56, 1957–58 |
| Cobh Ramblers | 2 | 1979–80, 1982–83 |
| Cork Bohemians | 2 | 1927–28, 1930–31 |
| CYM Terenure (Terenure) | 2 | 1971–72, 1974–75 |
| Drumcondra | 2 | 1926–27, 1946–47 |
| Fanad United | 2 | 1987–88, 1994–95 |
| Pegasus (Dublin) | 2 | 1976–77, 1991–92 |
| T.E.K. United | 2 | 1964–65, 1988–89 |
| Workmen's Club | 2 | 1956–57, 1960–61 |
| AOH | 1 | 1951–52 |
| Ashtown Villa | 1 | 2001–02 |
| Ballyfermot United (Ballyfermot) | 1 | 1983–84 |
| Bank Rovers (Dundalk) | 1 | 1984–85 |
| Belgrove (Dublin) | 1 | 2002–03 |
| Bohemians Reserves | 1 | 1931–32 |
| B and ISP | 1 | 1935–36 |
| Cahir Park (Cahir) | 1 | 1929–30 |
| Cherry Orchard | 1 | 1997–98 |
| College Corinthians | 1[13] | 2024–25 |
| Crofton Celtic (Cork) | 1 | 1997–98 |
| Dalkey United (Dalkey) | 1 | 1972–73 |
| Edenmore | 1 | 1990–91 |
| Glenmore Celtic (Dublin) | 1 | 1996–97 |
| Jacobs | 1 | 1949–50 |
| Liffey Wanderers | 1 | 2016–2017 |
| Maynooth University Town | 1 | 2017–18 |
| Rialto (Dublin) | 1 | 1969–70 |
| Richmond United | 1 | 1928–29 |
| St. Brendans CIE | 1 | 1975–76 |
| St James's Gate | 1 | 1950–51 |
| Shelbourne B | 1 | 1932–33 |
| Sligo Rovers | 1 | 1933–34 |
| Terenure Athletic | 1 | 1937–38 |
| Tramore Rookies | 1 | 1934–35 |
| Tullamore Town | 1 | 1970–71 |
| UCD | 1 | 1945–46 |
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)