2021–22 Irish Cup

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Irish Cup 2021–22
Region	Northern Ireland
Dates	14 Aug 2021 – 7 May 2022
Number of teams	128 (incl. qualifying) 32 (main competition)
Defending champions	Linfield
← 2020–21	2022–23 →

The 2021–22 Irish Cup (known as the Sadler's Peaky Blinder Irish Cup for sponsorship purposes) will be the 142nd edition of the premier knock-out cup competition in Northern Irish football since its inauguration in 1881. The competition will begin on 14 August 2021 with the first qualifying round, and will conclude with the final at Windsor Park, Belfast on 7 May 2022.

Linfield are the defending champions, having defeated Larne 2–1 in the previous season's final; the first ever Irish Cup final meeting between the two teams. This extended Linfield's record of Irish Cup wins to 44; their first win since 2017. It also meant a sixth Irish Cup final appearance for Larne without ever winning the competition, extending that unwanted record.

The winners will enter the 2022–23 UEFA Europa Conference League first qualifying round.

Format and schedule

128 clubs entered this season's competition. This was a large increase on the 26 entrants for the previous season's competition, which was played in a condensed format as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic in Northern Ireland. This season, the stages of the cup were renamed. The first four rounds will now be known as qualifying rounds, with what was historically known as the fifth round now becoming the first round of the main competition. 104 clubs entered the draw for the first qualifying round. 80 of them were drawn to face each other in 40 ties, with the remaining 24 given byes into the second qualifying round. After two further knockout rounds, the eight winners from the fourth qualifying round will join the 24 clubs from the NIFL Premiership and NIFL Championship in the first round of the main competition.

Round First match date Fixtures Clubs First qualifying round 14 August 2021 40 128 → 88 Second qualifying round 25 September 2021 32 88 → 56 Third qualifying round 30 October 2021 16 56 → 40 Fourth qualifying round 27 November 2021 8 40 → 32 First round 8 January 2022 16 32 → 16 Second round 5 February 2022 8 16 → 8 Quarter-finals 4 March 2022 4 8 → 4 Semi-finals 1 April 2022 2 4 → 2 Final 7 May 2022 1 2 → 1

Tiers Leagues No. of Entries Entry round 1 NIFL Premiership 12 First round 2 NIFL Championship 12 3 NIFL Premier Intermediate League 10 First qualifying round (Second qualifying round if byed) 4 Ballymena & Provincial Football League Premier Division Mid-Ulster Football League Intermediate A Northern Amateur Football League Premier Division Northern Ireland Intermediate League 94 5 Mid-Ulster Football League Intermediate B Northern Amateur Football League Division 1A 6 Northern Amateur Football League Division 1B 7 Northern Amateur Football League Division 1C

Qualifying rounds

The league tier of each club at the time of entering the competition is listed in parentheses.

• (1) = NIFL Premiership
• (2) = NIFL Championship
• (3) = NIFL Premier Intermediate League
• (NL) = Non-league (clubs outside the Northern Ireland Football League – levels 4–7)

First qualifying round

The draw for the first qualifying round took place on 20 July 2021, with the matches due to be played on 14 August 2021. 104 clubs from level 3 and below entered the draw for the first qualifying round. 80 of them were randomly drawn to face each other in 40 ties.

The remaining 24 clubs, namely: 18th Newtownabbey Old Boys (NL), Ballynahinch Olympic (NL), Bangor (3), Bloomfield (NL), Colin Valley (NL), Comber Recreation (NL), Crewe United (NL), Downshire Young Men (NL), Drumaness Mills (NL), Dunmurry Young Men (NL), Glebe Rangers (NL), Immaculata (NL), Kilmore Recreation (NL), Laurelvale (NL), Lisburn Rangers (NL), Markethill Swifts (NL), Mossley (NL), Newington (3), Oxford Sunnyside (NL), Rathfriland Rangers (NL), St James' Swifts (NL), St Mary's (NL), Strabane Athletic (NL) and Tandragee Rovers (NL) all received byes into the second qualifying round.

Team 1  Score  Team 2 1st Bangor Old Boys (NL) v Lower Maze (NL) Abbey Villa (NL) v Shorts (NL) Ambassadors (NL) v Ardstraw (NL) Ards Rangers (NL) v Bryansburn Rangers (NL) Ballymoney United (NL) v Richhill (NL) Ballynahinch United (NL) v Greenisland (NL) Banbridge Rangers (NL) v Moneyslane (NL) Belfast Celtic (NL) v Ballymacash Rangers (NL) Brantwood (NL) v Coagh United (NL) Chimney Corner (NL) v Rectory Rangers (NL) Clonard (NL) v Bangor Amateurs (NL) Cookstown Royal British Legion (NL) v Banbridge Town (3) Cookstown Youth (NL) v Killyleagh Youth (NL) Craigavon City (NL) v Malachians (NL) Crumlin United (NL) v Saintfield United (NL) Derriaghy Cricket Club (NL) v Albert Foundry (NL) Desertmartin (NL) v Orangefield Old Boys (NL) Dollingstown (3) v Crumlin Star (NL) Dromara Village (NL) v Dunmurry Recreation (NL) Dromore Amateurs (NL) v Limavady United (3)

Team 1  Score  Team 2 Dunloy (NL) v Tullycarnet (NL) Grove United (NL) v Newtowne (NL) Hanover (NL) v Bourneview Mill (NL) Holywood (NL) v Barn United (NL) Islandmagee (NL) v Suffolk (NL) Larne Tech Old Boys (NL) v Fivemiletown United (NL) Lisburn Distillery (3) v Newcastle (NL) Lurgan Town (NL) v PSNI (3) Rosario Youth (NL) v Woodvale (NL) Seagoe (NL) v Ballynure Old Boys (NL) Shankill United (NL) v Newbuildings United (NL) Sirocco Works (NL) v Bangor Swifts (NL) St Luke's (NL) v Aquinas (NL) St Oliver Plunkett (NL) v Rosemount Recreation (NL) Tobermore United (3) v East Belfast (NL) Tullyvallen (NL) v Maiden City (NL) Valley Rangers (NL) v Portstewart (3) Wakehurst (NL) v Armagh City (3) Wellington Recreation (NL) v Donegal Celtic (NL) Windmill Stars (NL) v Dungiven Celtic (NL)

Second qualifying round

64 clubs will enter the second qualifying round; the 40 winners from the first qualifying round, along with the 24 clubs that received byes. The matches are due to be played on 25 September 2021.

Clubs entering this round:

• 18th Newtownabbey Old Boys (NL)
• Ballynahinch Olympic (NL)
• Bangor (3)
• Bloomfield (NL)
• Colin Valley (NL)
• Comber Recreation (NL)
• Crewe United (NL)
• Downshire Young Men (NL)
• Drumaness Mills (NL)
• Dunmurry Young Men (NL)
• Glebe Rangers (NL)
• Immaculata (NL)
• Kilmore Recreation (NL)
• Laurelvale (NL)
• Lisburn Rangers (NL)
• Markethill Swifts (NL)
• Mossley (NL)
• Newington (3)
• Oxford Sunnyside (NL)
• Rathfriland Rangers (NL)
• St James' Swifts (NL)
• St Mary's (NL)
• Strabane Athletic (NL)
• Tandragee Rovers (NL)
• +40 first qualifying round winners

Third qualifying round

The 32 second qualifying round winners will enter the third qualifying round. The matches are due to be played on 30 October 2021.

Fourth qualifying round

The 16 third qualifying round winners will enter the fourth qualifying round. The matches are due to be played on 27 November 2021. The eight winners from this round will qualify for the first round of the main competition.

Main competition

First round

32 clubs will enter the first round of the main competition; the 24 clubs from levels 1 and 2 (the NIFL Premiership and NIFL Championship), along with the eight clubs that progressed through the four qualifying rounds. The matches are due to be played on 8 January 2022.

Clubs entering this round:

• Annagh United (2)
• Ards (2)
• Ballinamallard United (2)
• Ballyclare Comrades (2)
• Ballymena United (1)
• Carrick Rangers (1)
• Cliftonville (1)
• Coleraine (1)
• Crusaders (1)
• Dergview (2)
• Dundela (2)
• Dungannon Swifts (1)
• Glenavon (1)
• Glentoran (1)
• Harland & Wolff Welders (2)
• Institute (2)
• Knockbreda (2)
• Larne (1)
• Linfield (1)
• Loughgall (2)
• Newry City (2)
• Portadown (1)
• Queen's University (2)
• Warrenpoint Town (1)
• +8 fourth qualifying round winners

Second round

The 16 first round winners will enter the second round. The matches are due to be played on 5 February 2022.

Quarter-finals

The 8 second round winners will enter the quarter-finals. The matches are due to be played on 4 March 2022.

4 March 2022		v

4 March 2022		v

4 March 2022		v

4 March 2022		v

Semi-finals

The 4 quarter-final winners will enter the semi-finals. The matches are due to be played on 1 April 2022.

1 April 2022		v

1 April 2022		v

Final

The two semi-final winners will meet in the final. The final will be played on 7 May 2022 at Windsor Park, Belfast.

7 May 2022	Semi-final winner #1	v	Semi-final winner #2	Windsor Park, Belfast

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Football in Northern Ireland

League competitions The IFA Cup competitions NIFL Premiership Northern Ireland (B) Irish Cup NIFL Championship (U-21) (U-20) (U-19) Irish League Cup Intermediate League (U-18) (U-17) (U-16) County Antrim Shield Ballymena & Provincial List of clubs Mid-Ulster Cup Northern Amateur Football League List of stadiums Mid-Ulster Football League (by capacity) List of competitions

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