FAI Women's Cup

FAI Women's Cup
Organising bodyWomen's Football Association of Ireland
Founded1975
Region Ireland
Number of teams15 (2024)[1]
Current championsShelbourne (3rd title)
Most successful club(s)Dublin Castle 6 LFAI CUP WINNERS Castle Rovers/
Shamrock Rovers (6)
WebsiteFAI Women's Cup at fai.ie
2023 FAI Women's Cup

The Football Association of Ireland Women's Cup is the senior cup competition for women's association football in the Republic of Ireland. It is commonly known as the Women's FAI Cup, the WFAI Cup, or prior to 2001, the Ladies FAI Cup or the LFAI Cup. Organised by the Women's Football Association of Ireland, like the Women's National League, the Cup is currently sponsored by Sports Direct and is known as the Sports Direct Women's FAI Cup. Previous sponsors include EVOKE.ie, Continental Tyres,[2] Umbro[3] and Brother International.[4]

History

Antecedents

Two reports in the Kilkenny People suggest that Evergreen (Kilkenny) defeated Avengers (Dublin) in a 1973 final.[5][6] Two 1974 articles in the Irish Independent and Sunday Independent report that Anne O'Brien won the Drumcondra Cup with All-Stars (Dublin) in 1972.[7][8] A 1985 article in the Munster Express, marking Benfica's twenty year anniversary, claims the club first played in a national Cup as early as in 1968.[9]

Early years

Although the RSSSF archives only list finals from 1989,[10] a match programme from a 1978 international between the Republic of Ireland and France confirmed that the Ladies FAI Cup was first played for in 1975 with Limerick defeating C.S.O. (Dublin) 2–1 in the final.[11] Records from the early 1980s are more clear and during this period the three strongest teams were Dublin Castle, Benfica and Rathfarnham United. The former two clubs were both members of the Ladies League of Ireland. Dublin Castle was founded in the mid-1970s as a works team by Margaret Griffin, a former camogie player from Ennis, County Clare who later became a Republic of Ireland international. At the time Griffin was working for the Irish Revenue Commissioners based at Dublin Castle.[12]

Benfica won the cup for the third time in 1993 in controversial circumstances. College Corinthians originally defeated Benfica 1–0 in the final.[13] However a replay was held after it was discovered that Corinthians had fielded two unregistered players.[14] In the replay, a fifteen year old Ciara Grant scored twice as Benfica won 3–0 at Kilcohan Park.[15][16]

DWSL monopoly

Following the emergence of the Dublin Women's Soccer League in 1993, its member clubs, most notably Shamrock Rovers and UCD, dominated the competition.[17] This monopoly was briefly broken in 2006 and 2007 by the representative teams of two regional women's leagues. A team representing the Mayo Ladies League[18] defeated UCD in the 2006 final and in 2007 the Galway Ladies League defeated Raheny United.[19][20][21] Between 2008 and 2011 the DWSL dominance was restored with victories by St Francis, Peamount United and St. Catherine's.

UEFA Women's Cup

Between 2001 and 2010 the FAI Women's Cup served as a qualifier for the UEFA Women's Cup. In 2002–03, after winning the 2001 cup, Shamrock Rovers became the first women's team to represent the Republic of Ireland in Europe.[22] UCD became the second Republic of Ireland team to qualify for Europe after winning the cup. UCD played in the 2003–04, 2004–05 and 2005–06 UEFA Women's Cups. The Mayo Ladies League, the Galway Ladies League, St Francis and Peamount United all represented the Republic of Ireland in Europe after winning the cup.

In 2005 Dundalk City won the FAI Women's Cup[23][24] and as a result qualified for the 2006–07 UEFA Women's Cup. However, in 2006 a split developed within Dundalk City over a plan for the club to fully merge with Dundalk F.C. This saw the emergence of two separate women's teams. Dundalk City was re-established as an independent club while Dundalk W.F.C. became affiliated with the League of Ireland club. Following complications that resulted from the split, it was Dundalk W.F.C. that went on to represent the Republic of Ireland in the UEFA Women's Cup.[25][26][27]

Women's National League era

The establishment of the Women's National League in 2011–12 led to a revamp for the FAI Women's Cup. Played between August and November, it serves as a warm up competition for the WNL season. Between 2013 and 2019 the final was staged as part of double header at the Aviva Stadium along with the men's FAI Cup final. This idea had previously been tried out in 2004 and 2005 when Lansdowne Road hosted both finals on the same day. Since 2013 the final has also been broadcast live on RTÉ Two.[28] In 2015 the double header system caused controversy when the FAI Women's Cup final went to extra-time and penalties. During the penalty shoot-out, Cork City F.C. players began their warm up preparations for the men's FAI Cup on the pitch.[29]

From the 2020 season onwards, the final was staged at Tallaght Stadium on a separate day to the men's final.

List of finals

Date Winner Score Runners-up Venue
1975 Limerick 2–1 C.S.O. (Dublin)[11]
1976 Dublin Castle Waterford
1977 Suffragettes Avengers (Dublin)
1978 Dublin Castle Green Angels (Dublin)
1979 Dublin Castle Avengers (Dublin)
1980 Suffragettes 4–1 [30] Rathfarnham United
1981 Suffragettes[note 1][30] Rathfarnham United
10 October 1982 Dublin Castle [31][32] 5–0 Cork Celtic Waterford Glass Sports Centre
1983 Glade Celtic 2–0 Dublin Castle [33] Belfield Park[34]
1984 Dublin Castle [35] 2-2 [note 2] Killeady/Cork Rangers [36]
1985 Rathfarnham United 2–2 (a.e.t.) Belvedere Hogan Park, Rathbane
Replay Rathfarnham United 2–0 Belvedere[37][38] Dalymount Park[4]
1986 Dublin Castle Benfica[39][40]
1987 Benfica 3–2 Boyne Rovers [40][41] Dalymount Park
1988 Rathfarnham United [42]
1989 Benfica 4–2 (a.e.t.) Rathfarnham United [note 3] The Farm[42][43]
1990 Rathfarnham United Boyne Rovers
1991 Rathfarnham United Belvedere
18 October 1992 Welsox Benfica Dalymount Park[44]
1993 College Corinthians 1–0 Benfica
Replay Benfica 3–0 [note 4] College Corinthians Kilcohan Park[13][14][15][16]
1994 Welsox Verona FC
1995 Rathfarnham United College Corinthians
1996 Castle Rovers O'Connell Chics
1997 Shamrock Rovers[45] 4–0 Shelbourne
1998 Shamrock Rovers Listowel Celtic
29 August 1999 [46] Shamrock Rovers 2–0 Shelbourne AUL Complex
2000 Shamrock Rovers Bealnamulla
29 July 2001 Shamrock Rovers 3–1 St. Catherine's AUL Complex[47]
1 September 2002 UCD 2–1 Shamrock Rovers
10 August 2003 [48] UCD 2–0 Lifford (Clare) Richmond Park
24 October 2004 [49] UCD 4–1 Dundalk City Lansdowne Road[50]
16 October 2005 [23][24][51] Dundalk City 1–0 Peamount United Lansdowne Road[50]
2 December 2006 [20] Mayo Ladies League 1–0 UCD Richmond Park[18]
14 October 2007 [21] Galway Ladies League 1–0 Raheny United Dalymount Park
22 November 2008 [52] St Francis 2–1 Peamount United Richmond Park
25 July 2009 [53] St Francis 1–0 St. Catherine's Richmond Park[54]
25 July 2010 [55] Peamount United 4–2 Salthill Devon Tolka Park
7 August 2011 [56][57][58][59] St. Catherine's 3–1 Wilton United Turners Cross
13 October 2012 [60] Raheny United 2–1 Peamount United Dalymount Park
3 November 2013 [61] Raheny United 3–2 (a.e.t.) Castlebar Celtic Aviva Stadium[28]
2 November 2014 [62] Raheny United 2–1 (a.e.t.) UCD Waves Aviva Stadium
8 November 2015 [63] Wexford Youths 2–2 [note 5] Shelbourne Aviva Stadium
6 November 2016 [64] Shelbourne 5–0 Wexford Youths Aviva Stadium
5 November 2017 [65] Cork City 1–0 UCD Waves Aviva Stadium
4 November 2018[66] Wexford Youths 1–0 Peamount United Aviva Stadium
3 November 2019[67] Wexford Youths 3–2 Peamount United Aviva Stadium
12 December 2020[68] Peamount United 6–0 Cork City Tallaght Stadium
21 November 2021[69] Wexford Youths 3–1 Shelbourne Tallaght Stadium
6 November 2022[70] Shelbourne 2–0 Athlone Town Tallaght Stadium
19 November 2023[71] Athlone Town 2–2[note 6] Shelbourne Tallaght Stadium
20 October 2024[72] Shelbourne 6–1 Athlone Town Tallaght Stadium
Notes
  1. ^ Suffragettes and Rathfarnham United were the finalists.
  2. ^ Dublin Castle won on penalties.
  3. ^ RSSSF lists Boyne Rovers as the runners-up. However a report in The Munster Express identifies Rathfarnham United as the runners-up. The same report also identifies Rathfarnham United as the previous years winners.
  4. ^ Replay held after Corinthians had fielded two unregistered players in first game.
  5. ^ Wexford Youths won 4–2 on penalties.
  6. ^ Athlone won 4–3 on penalties.

List of winners by club

Dublin Castle and Castle Rovers/Shamrock Rovers have won the cup the most times, each winning the competition six times.[10][19]

Wins Team Seasons
6 Dublin Castle [note 1] 1976, 1978, 1979, 1982, 1984, 1986 [32]
6 Castle Rovers/Shamrock Rovers 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001
5 Rathfarnham United 1985, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1995
4 Wexford Youths 2015, 2018, 2019, 2021
3 Benfica 1987, 1989, 1995
3 UCD 2002, 2003, 2004
3 Raheny United 2012, 2013, 2014
3 Shelbourne 2016, 2022, 2024
2 Peamount United 2010, 2020
2 Welsox 1992, 1994
2 St Francis 2008, 2010
1 Limerick 1975
1 Glade Celtic 1983
1 Dundalk City 2005
1 Mayo Ladies League 2006
1 Galway Ladies League 2007
1 St. Catherine's 2011
1 Cork City 2017
1 Athlone Town 2023

Source:[10][19]

Notes
  1. ^ An Irish Examiner report on 1982 final states that 1982 was third time Dublin Castle had won cup but does not identify the earlier years.

References

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