| Organiser(s) | Football Association of Ireland League of Ireland |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1973 |
| Region |  Ireland |
| Teams | 24 |
| Current champions | Dundalk (7th Title) (2019) |
| Most championships |  Derry City (11 titles) |
 2020[1] | |
TheLeague of Ireland Cup, also referred to in Ireland as the 'League Cup', was an annualknockout competition in men'sfootball inIreland. It was contested byLeague of Ireland clubs and invited clubs from the lower levels of theIrish football league system. It has beensponsored byElectronic Arts and branded theEA Sports Cup since2009.[2]
The competition began in 1973–74, replacing theLeague of Ireland Shield and theDublin City Cup.[3] It has had several formats since its inception and has been a knock-out competition since 2005. As there was no European qualification for winners of the League of Ireland Cup, it had a lower status than theFAI Cup and was therefore seen as the third most important trophy in the Irish playing season.
The competition was not held in 2020 and 2021 as a result of delays and restrictions caused by theCOVID-19 pandemic,[1] and has yet to resume being held as of 2025.
| † | Score onaggregate after 2 legs |
| Match was won on apenalty shootout |
| Club | Winners | Runners-up | Winning years | Years runners up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Derry City | 11 | 3 | 1988–89, 1990–91, 1991–92, 1993–94, 1999–2000,2005,2006,2007,2008,2011,2018 | 1989–90, 2001–02, 2019 |
| Dundalk | 7 | 4 | 1977–78,1980–81,1986–87,1989–90,2014,2017,2019 | 1982–83, 1985–86, 1988–89, 1994–95 |
| St. Patrick's Athletic | 4 | 2 | 2000–01, 2003,2015,2016 | 1979–80, 1992–93 |
| Bohemians | 3 | 3 | 1974–75, 1978–79,2009 | 1991–92, 2004, 2007 |
| Athlone Town | 3 | 2 | 1979–80, 1981–82, 1982–83 | 1983–84, 1999–2000 |
| Cork City | 3 | 2 | 1987–88, 1994–95, 1998–99 | 1996–97, 2011 |
| Limerick1 | 3 | 2 | 1975–76, 1992–93, 2001–02 | 1990–91, 2016 |
| Shamrock Rovers | 2 | 8 | 1976–77,2013 | 1978–79, 1981–82, 1986–87, 1987–88, 1998–99, 2012, 2014, 2017 |
| Sligo Rovers | 2 | 3 | 1997–98,2010 | 1975–76, 1976–77, 1995–96 |
| Galway United2 | 2 | 2 | 1985–86, 1996–97 | 1980–81, 2015 |
| Waterford United3 | 2 | 1 | 1973–74, 1984–85 | 2009 |
| Drogheda United | 2 | 1 | 1983–84,2012 | 2013 |
| Shelbourne | 1 | 3 | 1995–96 | 1993–94, 1997–98, 2006 |
| Longford Town | 1 | 1 | 2004 | 2003 |
| Finn Harps | - | 3 | - | 1973–74, 1974–75, 1984–85 |
| UCD | - | 2 | - | 2000–01, 2005 |
| Cork Alberts | - | 1 | - | 1977–78 |
| Wexford Youths | - | 1 | - | 2008 |
| Monaghan United | - | 1 | - | 2010 |
| Cobh Ramblers | - | 1 | - | 2018 |
Bass League Cup: 1975–76 – 1978–79
Opel League Cup: 1986–87 – 1989–90
Bord Gáis League Cup: 1990–91 – 1995–96
Harp Lager League Cup: 1996–97 – 1998–99
Eircom League Cup: 1999–2000 – 2008
EA Sports Cup: 2009 –
The Final has been broadcast live since 2005, first bySetanta Sports, then since 2016 by its successor channelEir Sport