| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Country | Northern Ireland |
| Dates | 13 Aug 2022 – 7 May 2023 |
| Teams | 128 (incl. qualifying) 32 (main competition) |
| Defending champions | Crusaders |
| Final positions | |
| Champions | Crusaders(6th title) |
| Runners-up | Ballymena United |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 120 |
| Goals scored | 507 (4.23 per match) |
The2022–23 Irish Cup (known as theSamuel Gelston's Whiskey Irish Cup for sponsorship purposes) was the 143rd edition of theIrish Cup, the premier knockout cup competition inNorthern Irishfootball since its inauguration in 1881.[1] The winners qualified for the2023–24 Europa Conference League first qualifying round.
Crusaders won the cup on 7 May 2023 with a 4–0 win overBallymena United (a repeat of the previous season's final), their second consecutive Irish Cup win and third overall.
The league tier of each club at the time of entering the competition is listed in parentheses.
101 clubs entered the first round of the main competition, with the first round draw being made on 7 July 2022. The matches were played on 13 August 2022.[2]
The second round draw was made on 17 August 2022. The matches were played on 17 September 2022.[3]
The third round draw was made on 20 September 2022. The matches were played on 29 October and 5 November 2022.[4]
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
|---|---|---|
| 29 October 2022 | ||
| Ballymacash Rangers (3) | 7–1 | Rosario Youth (NL) |
| Bourneview Mill (NL) | 2–0 | Shankill United (NL) |
| Coagh United (NL) | 1–5 | Crumlin United (NL) |
| Comber Recreation (NL) | 0–2 | Dollingstown (3) |
| Crewe United (NL) | 2–2 (2–1p) | St James' Swifts (NL) |
| Dungiven Celtic (NL) | 0–6 | Ballymoney United (NL) |
| Greenisland (NL) | 2–0 | Dunloy (NL) |
| Newcastle (NL) | 1–5 | St Mary's Youth (NL) |
| Oxford Sunnyside (NL) | 2–1 | Mossley (NL) |
| Tandragee Rovers (NL) | 2–0 | Immaculata (NL) |
| Wakehurst (NL) | 1–5 | Moyola Park (3) |
| Windmill Stars (NL) | 3–2 | Willowbank (NL) |
| Woodvale (NL) | 0–1 | Limavady United (3) |
| 5 November 2022 | ||
| Banbridge Town (3) | 1–0 | East Belfast (NL) |
| Belfast Celtic (NL) | 0–3 | Bangor (3) |
| Lurgan Town (NL) | 1–3 | Finaghy (NL) |
The fourth round draw was made on 1 November 2022. The matches were played on 26 November 2022.[5]
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Ballymacash Rangers (3) | 3–5 | Banbridge Town (3) |
| Ballymoney United (NL) | 2–0 | Finaghy (NL) |
| Bourneview Mill (NL) | 1–6 | Moyola Park (3) |
| Crewe United (NL) | 1–3 | St Mary's Youth (NL) |
| Crumlin United (NL) | 2–0 | Greenisland (NL) |
| Limavady United (3) | 1–2 | Bangor (3) |
| Tandragee Rovers (NL) | 3–1 | Oxford Sunnyside (NL) |
| Windmill Stars (NL) | 2–3 | Dollingstown (3) |
The fifth round draw was made on 6 December 2022. The matches were played on 6 and 7 January 2023.[6]
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Ballinamallard United (2) | 1–2 | Glenavon (1) |
| Ballyclare Comrades (2) | 1–0 | Dollingstown (3) |
| Bangor (3) | 4–0 | Tandragee Rovers (NL) |
| Carrick Rangers (1) | 1–1 (0–3p) | Ballymena United (1) |
| Coleraine (1) | 3–1 | Loughgall (2) |
| Crusaders (1) | 6–0 | Dergview (2) |
| Dundela (2) | 0–5 | Cliftonville (1) |
| Dungannon Swifts (1) | 3–1 | Ards (2) |
| Institute (2) | 4–0 | Annagh United (2) |
| Knockbreda (2) | 2–0 | St Mary's Youth (NL) |
| Larne (1) | 3–0 | Crumlin United (NL) |
| Linfield (1) | 3–0 | Warrenpoint Town (2) |
| Moyola Park (3) | 0–2 | Glentoran (1) |
| Newington (2) | 2–1 | Ballymoney United (NL) |
| Newry City (1) | 1–2 | Harland & Wolff Welders (2) |
| Portadown (1) | 2–0 | Banbridge Town (3) |
The sixth round draw was made on 7 January 2023. The matches were played on 3 and 4 February 2023.[7]
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Ballymena United (1) | 4–1 | Newington (2) |
| Bangor (3) | 1–2 | Crusaders (1) |
| Cliftonville (1) | 2–2 (3–1p) | Coleraine (1) |
| Glenavon (1) | 0–1 | Harland & Wolff Welders (2) |
| Institute (2) | 0–1 | Ballyclare Comrades (2) |
| Knockbreda (2) | 1–2 | Dungannon Swifts (1) |
| Larne (1) | 1–1 (4–3p) | Linfield (1) |
| Portadown (1) | 0–3 | Glentoran (1) |
The 8 sixth round winners entered the quarter-finals. The draw was made on 4 February 2023, and the matches were played on 3 and 4 March 2023.[8]
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Ballyclare Comrades (2) | 1–3 | Ballymena United (1) |
| Cliftonville (1) | 1–2 | Dungannon Swifts (1) |
| Crusaders (1) | 1–0 | Glentoran (1) |
| Harland & Wolff Welders (2) | 0–1 | Larne (1) |
The 4 quarter-final winners entered the semi-finals. The draw was made on 8 March 2023, and the matches will be played on 31 March and 1 April 2023.[9]
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Dungannon Swifts (1) | 0–1 | Crusaders (1) |
| Larne (1) | 0–2 | Ballymena United (1) |
Ballymena United andCrusaders qualified to the final for the second consecutive year and their second Irish Cup final against each other. Crusaders won 2–1 in the previous season's final. The final was held on 7 May 2023 and ended with a 4-0 win for Crusaders.[10]
| Ballymena United (1) | 0–4 | Crusaders (1) |
|---|---|---|
| BBC Sport | Clarke 12'Lecky 53'Lowry 65'Heatley 69' |
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