The 2023 FAI Cup, known as the Sports Direct FAI Cup for sponsorship reasons,[1] was the 103rd edition of the Republic of Ireland's primary national cup competition. It featured teams from the League of Ireland Premier Division and the First Division, as well as non-league teams. The competition began with qualifying on 7 April 2023 and concluded with the final on 12 November 2023 in the Aviva Stadium.[2][3][4][5] The winners qualified for the second qualifying round of the 2024–25 UEFA Conference League.
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Country | Republic of Ireland |
| Venue(s) | Aviva Stadium, Dublin |
| Dates | 7 April – 12 November |
| Teams | 40 |
| Final positions | |
| Champions | St Patrick's Athletic |
| Runner-up | Bohemians |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Top goal scorer(s) | Jonathan Afolabi (4 goals) |
| (Note: All statistics do not include qualifying round) | |
St Patrick's Athletic won the cup on 12 November after a 3–1 win over Bohemians in the final, it was their fifth FAI Cup win.[6]
Teams edit
The 2023 FAI Cup is a knockout competition with 40 teams taking part. The competitors consist of the 20 teams from the League of Ireland and 20 teams from the regional leagues of the Republic of Ireland football league system.
| League of Ireland Premier Division | League of Ireland First Division | Leinster Senior League | Munster Senior League | Ulster Senior League | Other leagues |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
(Tipperary South District League)
(Clare District League) |
Preliminary round edit
The eight preliminary round ties began over the weekend of the 9th of April with the first round proper played in July. The four non-league teams receiving byes into the first round were; Lucan United, Gorey Rangers, Avondale United and Bangor Celtic.
| 7 April 2023 | St. Patrick's CY | 4–0 | Willow Park | Irishtown |
| 19:30 | Gregg  4' Kinsella 18' Daly 68' 85' |
Stadium: Irishtown Stadium Attendance: 50 Referee: Robert Redmond |
| 7 April 2023 | Portlaoise | 2–1 | Usher Celtic | Portlaoise |
| 19:45 | Fitzpatrick 13' 29' |
Buckley 9' Lynam  70' |
Stadium: Rossleighan Park Attendance: 150 Referee: David Gallagher |
| 8 April 2023 | Cockhill Celtic | 5–4 (a.e.t.) | St. Mochta's | Buncrana |
| 13:00 | McLaughlin 64' 75' 89' Friel 104' 120+1' |
Brady 31' Donnelly 41' Scott 64' 117' McWilliams 61' |
Stadium: Charlie O'Donnell Sports Grounds Attendance: 150 Referee: Barry Maxwell |
| 8 April 2023 | Kilbarrack United | 5–0 | Drumcondra | Raheny |
| 14:00 | Townley 5' McCourt 8' Fitzsimons 39' Cummins 54' Mulligan 82' |
Stadium: Greendale Astro Attendance: 100 Referee: Liam McGuirk |
| 8 April 2023 | Ringmahon Rangers | 1–0 | Killester Donnycarney | Mahon |
| 14:00 | Horgan 78' |
Kavanagh 80' |
Stadium: Ringmahon Park Attendance: 100 Referee: Edwin McNally |
| 9 April 2023 | Skerries Town | 4–0 | Newmarket Celtic | Skerries |
| 14:00 | Leonard 10' Young 23' 68' McKenna 51' (pen) |
Stadium: Park Lane Attendance: 250 Referee: John McCarthy |
| 9 April 2023 | Home Farm | 0–0 (a.e.t.) (1–4 p) | Rockmount | Whitehall |
| 14:00 | Mellah 56' McNevin  Hoban Prizeman  |
Ahearne Casey Leonard Connolly |
Stadium: Whitehall Stadium Attendance: 115 Referee: Declan Troy |
| 9 April 2023 | St. Michael's | 2–1 | Ballynanty Rovers | Tipperary |
| 15:00 | McGrath 30' Byron 61' |
Quinn 66' |
Stadium: Cooke Park Attendance: 550 Referee: Alec McCormack |
First round edit
The draw for the first round was made on June 6 and was made by FAI President Gerry McAnaney and former FAI Cup winner Derek Coughlan. All ties took place on the weekend of 23 July.[7][8]
| 21 July 2023 | UCD | 3–2 | Cobh Ramblers | Belfield |
| 19:45 | Keaney 23' Frahill 50' (o.g.) Norris 62' |
Report | Holland 16' Larkin 70' |
Stadium: UCD Bowl Attendance: 174 Referee: Declan Toland |
| 21 July 2023 | Kerry | 2–0 | Ringmahon Rangers | Tralee |
| 19:45 | Kelliher 75', 84' |
Report | Stadium: Mounthawk Park Attendance: 665 Referee: Marc Lynch |
| 21 July 2023 | Drogheda United | 2–1 | Sligo Rovers | Drogheda |
| 19:45 | Foley 57' Brennan 80' (pen.) |
Report | Mata 42' (pen.) Lafferty 78' |
Stadium: Weaver's Park Attendance: 1334 Referee: David Dunne |
| 21 July 2023 | Bohemians | 1–0 | Shelbourne | Phibsborough |
| 19:45 | Afolabi 32' |
Report | Stadium: Dalymount Park Attendance: 4168 Referee: Paul McLaughlin |
| 21 July 2023 | Kilbarrack United | 0–1 | Finn Harps | Kilbarrack |
| 19:45 | Report | Hutchison 23' |
Stadium: Greendale Road Attendance: 375 Referee: Kevin O’Sullivan |
| 21 July 2023 | Wexford | 3–0 | Avondale United | Wexford |
| 19:45 | Boyle 45' (pen.) Doran 63' Kenny 90+5' (pen.) |
Report | Stadium: Ferrycarrig Park Attendance: 268 Referee: Gavin Colfer |
| 22 July 2023 | Treaty United | 0–2 | Cork City | Garyowen |
| 14:00 | Nwankwo 90' |
Report | Honohan 54' Owalabi 77' |
Stadium: Markets Field Attendance: 909 Referee: Damien MacGraith |
| 22 July 2023 | Cockhill Celtic | 1–3 | Bray Wanderers | Buncrana |
| 14:00 | McClure 42' |
Report | Feeney 25' Lyons 34' Thompson 36' |
Stadium: Charlie O'Donnell Sports Grounds Attendance: 200 Referee: Paul Norton |
| 22 July 2023 | Gorey Rangers | 1–2 | Rockmount | Gorey |
| 15:00 | Molloy 90+4' |
Report | O'Sullivan 42' Courtney 76' |
Stadium: Ramstown Attendance: 177 Referee: Daniel Murphy |
| 22 July 2023 | St Michael's | 0–5 | Waterford | Tipperary |
| 17:00 | Report | Coughlan 1' Perry 26' Parsons 42' Cresswell 67' Akachukwu 72' |
Stadium: Cooke Park Attendance: 800 Referee: Ray Matthews |
| 22 July 2023 | Galway United | 4–1 | Bangor Celtic | Galway |
| 17:00 | Aouachria 14' Walsh 39' 45+4' Brouder 52' |
Report | Maher 1' |
Stadium: Eamonn Deacy Park Attendance: 400 Referee: Alan Patchell |
| 23 July 2023 | Lucan United | 2–3 | St Patrick's CY | Celbridge |
| 11:00 | Mooney 36' 89' |
Report | Doyle 9' Hanrahan 39' Ivie 90' |
Stadium: O'Hanlon Park Attendance: 200 Referee: David Gallagher |
| 23 July 2023 | Portlaoise | 0–3 | Skerries Town | Portlaoise |
| 14:00 | Report | McKenna 14', 55', 90' |
Stadium: Rossleighan Park Attendance: 675 Referee: Sean Boyd |
| 23 July 2023 | Derry City | 3–0 | Athlone Town | Derry |
| 17:00 | Patching 23' (pen.) B.Kavanagh 90+3' Duffy 90+5' |
Report | Stadium: Brandywell Stadium Attendance: 3100 Referee: Oliver Moran |
| 23 July 2023 | Dundalk | 1–0 | Shamrock Rovers | Dundalk |
| 17:00 | Hayden Muller 23' Doyle 31' |
Report | Stadium: Oriel Park Attendance: 2686 Referee: Rob Harvey |
| 23 July 2023 | Longford Town | 1–2 | St Patrick's Athletic | Longford |
| 18:00 | Boudiaf 78' Hand 81' Brady 91' |
Report | Murphy 64' Forrester 80' (pen.) |
Stadium: Bishopsgate Attendance: 1164 Referee: Rob Hennessy |
Second round edit
The draw for the second round was made on 25 July and was broadcast live on RTE 2FM on the 'Game On' radio programme.[9] All ties took place on the weekend of 20 August.
| 18 August 2023 | Bohemians | 6–0 | Rockmount | Phibsborough |
| 19:45 | Clarke 18' 45+1' Afolabi 23' McDaid 55' Twardek 66' McDonnell 85' |
Report | Stadium: Dalymount Park Attendance: 2,746 Referee: David Dunne |
| 18 August 2023 | Bray Wanderers | 0–1 | Dundalk | Bray |
| 19:45 | Report | Horgan 86' |
Stadium: Carlisle Grounds Attendance: 500 Referee: Rob Hennessy |
| 18 August 2023 | Kerry | 0–1 | Drogheda United | Tralee |
| 19:45 | Report | Robinson 7' |
Stadium: Mounthawk Park Attendance: 960 Referee: Kevin O'Sullivan |
| 18 August 2023 | Finn Harps | 5–0 | Skerries Town | Ballybofey |
| 20:00 | Hutchison 4' Flood 16' 58' Ferry 47' O'Donnell 55' |
Report | Stadium: Finn Park Attendance: 828 Referee: Damien MacGraith |
| 20 August 2023 | St. Patrick's CY | 0–1 | Wexford | Ringsend |
| 13:30 | Report | D Levingston 42' |
Stadium: Irishtown Stadium Attendance: 500 Referee: Adriano Reale |
| 20 August 2023 | Derry City | 0–0 (a.e.t.) (3–4 p) | St Patrick's Athletic | Derry |
| 17:00 | P.McEleney B.Kavanagh Mullen Duffy Connolly |
Report | Forrester Nolan Mulraney Leavy Melia |
Stadium: Brandywell Stadium Attendance: 3,267 Referee: Neil Doyle |
| 21 August 2023 | Cork City | 3–0 | Waterford | Cork |
| 19:45 | Keating 1' Honohan 17' Bargary 87' |
Report | Idowu 90' |
Stadium: Turners Cross Attendance: 2,407 Referee: Eoghan O'Shea |
| 21 August 2023 | UCD | 1–5 | Galway United | Belfield |
| 19:45 | O'Reilly 86' |
Report | Aouachria 5' Hurley 15' 38' Manning 45+1' Manley 69' |
Stadium: UCD Bowl Attendance: 416 Referee: Rob Harvey |
| Note: Original fixture on 18 August abandoned at half time due to Storm Betty. | ||||
Quarter-finals edit
The draw for the quarter-finals of the FAI Cup was hosted by Shane Dawson and was made on 22 August 2023. FAI President Gerry McAnaney and former two time FAI Cup winner Barry Ferguson made the draw.[10] Games were played on 15 September 2023.
| 15 September 2023 | Drogheda United | 1–3 | Bohemians | Drogheda |
| 19:45 | Brennan 50' (pen) |
Report | Nowak 44' Afolabi 56' 90' (pen) |
Stadium: Weavers Park Attendance: 2,344 Referee: Damien MacGraith |
| 15 September 2023 | Finn Harps | 1–2 | St Patrick's Athletic | Ballybofey |
| 20:00 | O'Donnell 24' |
Report | Forrester 48' (pen) Lonergan 85' |
Stadium: Finn Park Attendance: 1,351 Referee: Rob Harvey |
| 15 September 2023 | Galway United | 4–0 | Dundalk | Galway |
| 19:45 | Walsh 8' McCarthy 20' Nugent 30' Hurley 39' (pen) |
Report | Stadium: Eamonn Deacy Park Attendance: 4,300 Referee: David Dunne |
Semi-finals edit
The draw for the semi finals was made on 19 September and was hosted by Shane Dawson at FAI Headquarters in Abbotstown. The draw was made by FAI President Gerry McAnaney and for FAI Cup winner Shane Robinson.[11]
| 7 October 2023 | Galway United | 0–1 | Bohemians | Galway |
| 14:40 | Report | Connolly 44' Radkowski 59' |
Stadium: Eamonn Deacy Park Attendance: 4,300 Referee: Neil Doyle |
| 8 October 2023 | Cork City | 0–2 | St Patrick's Athletic | Cork |
| 14:40 | Report | Doyle 12' Carty 83' |
Stadium: Turners Cross Attendance: 6,355 Referee: Rob Harvey |
Final edit
The final was held on 12 November 2023 in the Aviva Stadium.
| 12 November 2023 | Bohemians | 1–3 | St Patrick's Athletic | Ballsbridge |
| 15:00 | Afolabi 9' (pen.) |
Report | Doyle 23' Nowak 48' (o.g.)Lonergan 87' |
Stadium: Aviva Stadium Attendance: 43,881 Referee: Paul McLaughlin |
References edit
- ^ "Mike Ashley's Sports Direct to become new FAI Cup sponsors". FAI.ie. 27 April 2023. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
- ^ "Preliminary draw made FAI Official". FAI.ie. 15 March 2023. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
- ^ "Preliminary draw made on extratime.ie". extratime.ie. 16 March 2023. Retrieved 23 March 2023.
- ^ "Willow Park to learn FAI Senior Cup draw today". westmeathindepent.ie. 15 March 2023. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
- ^ "Draw for FAI Men's Senior Cup". strikeronline.ie. 15 March 2023. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
- ^ "St Pat's secure FAI Cup with comeback win to beat Bohs at the Aviva". Irish Independent. 12 November 2023. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
- ^ "Dundalk to meet Shamrock Rovers in FAI Cup first round". RTE Sport. 6 June 2023. Retrieved 21 July 2023.
- ^ "Preview: Dublin derby kicks off FAI Cup first round". RTE Sport. 21 July 2023. Retrieved 21 July 2023.
- ^ "FAI Cup second round draw recap as Derry take on St Pat's". Irish Mirror. 25 July 2023. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
- ^ "FAI Cup Quarter-Final draw completed". Extratime.com. 22 August 2023. Retrieved 19 September 2023.
- ^ "FAI Cup semi-final draw: Cork City to host St Pats, Galway to welcome Bohemians". Irish Examiner. 19 September 2023. Retrieved 4 October 2023.