The 1988–89 Irish Cup was the 109th edition of the Irish Cup, Northern Ireland's premier football knock-out cup competition. It concluded on 6 May 1989 with the final.

1988–89 Irish Cup
Tournament details
Country Northern Ireland
Teams76
Defending championsGlentoran
Final positions
ChampionsBallymena United (5th win)
Runner-upLarne
Tournament statistics
Matches played81
Goals scored263 (3.25 per match)

Glentoran were the defending champions after winning their fourth consecutive Irish Cup the previous season by beating Glenavon 1–0 in the 1988 final.[1] Their grip on the cup was finally broken by Linfield, who defeated them in the quarter-finals to inflict Glentoran's first Irish Cup defeat in 5 years. Ballymena United won the cup for the fifth time (sixth if you include Ballymena's record), defeating Larne 1–0 in the final.[2] To date, this is Ballymena United's last cup success. In fact, they did not reach the final again until 2014.

The cup was expanded to 76 clubs this season, including more non-league clubs. There would now be five rounds, then the quarter-finals, semi-finals and the final.

Results

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First round

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Annalong Swifts, Downshire Young Men, RUC, Queen's University and Blue Circle all received byes into the second round.

Team 1  Score  Team 2
Armagh City 0–1 Orangefield Old Boys
Armoy United 3–1 Dromara Village
Ballynahinch United 2–2
(2–3 p)
Civil Service
Bangor Amateurs 3–1 Larne Tech Old Boys
Barn United 0–2 Park
Comber Recreation 0–4 Harland & Wolff Sports
Crewe United 6–1 Cullybackey
Cromac Albion 2–0 Annagh United
Dundela 6–2 Ballymoney United
GEC 2–1 Loughgall
Harland & Wolff Welders 3–0 UUC
Institute 0–1 Ards Rangers
Islandmagee 2–1 Kilmore Recreation
Killyleagh Youth 6–1 Armagh Town
Limavady United 2–1 Standard Telephones & Cables
Macosquin 4–0 Saintfield United
Moyola Park 4–0 Oxford United
Portstewart 0–1 1st Bangor Old Boys
POSC 2–1 A.F.C. Craigavon
Rathfriland Rangers 2–2
(6–3 p)
Newtownabbey Town
Shorts 2–1 Sirocco Works
Star of the Sea 5–1 UUJ
Tandragee Rovers 2–5 Roe Valley

Second round

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Team 1  Score  Team 2
Annalong Swifts 1–2 Limavady United
Bangor Amateurs 1–0 Orangefield Old Boys
Cromac Albion 2–1 Shorts
Downshire Young Men 1–2 Rathfriland Rangers
Dundela 4–3 Killyleagh Youth
GEC 2–4 Ards Rangers
Harland & Wolff Welders 5–0 Crewe United
Islandmagee 2–1 POSC
Macosquin 0–1 Armoy United
Moyola Park 1–2 Harland & Wolff Sports
Park 3–0 1st Bangor Old Boys
Queen's University 3–0 Civil Service
Roe Valley 5–1 Blue Circle
RUC 2–2
(6–5 p)
Star of the Sea

Third round

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Team 1  Score  Team 2
Armoy United 3–1 Rathfriland Rangers
Cromac Albion Youth 2–1 Bangor Amateurs
Dundela 6–0 Islandmagee
Harland & Wolff Welders 1–0 Queen's University
Limavady United 2–1 Ards Rangers
Park 0–0
(4–3 p)
Harland & Wolff Sports
Roe Valley 3–1 RUC

Fourth round

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The 14 top flight clubs entered in this round, along with the seven third round winners, and 11 non-league clubs given byes to this round.

Team 1  Score  Team 2
Ards 0–1 Cromac Albion
Banbridge Town 3–0 Roe Valley
Carrick Rangers 1–0 Bangor
Cookstown United 1–4 Ballyclare Comrades
Coleraine 1-3 Linfield
Crusaders 2–0 Dungannon Swifts
Distillery 1–4 Ballymena United
Dunmurry Rec. 0–1 Donegal Celtic
Larne 3–0 Chimney Corner
Portadown 1–0 Coagh United
Glenavon 4–2 Dundela
Glentoran 5–1 Armoy United
Newry Town 1–2 Cliftonville
Omagh Town 2–0 Brantwood
Park 2–0 Harland & Wolff Welders
Tobermore United 3–0 Limavady United

Fifth round

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Team 1  Score  Team 2
Ballyclare Comrades 2–2 Ballymena United
Carrick Rangers 2–1 Portadown
Cliftonville 1–0 Park
Crusaders 1–0 Banbridge Town
Larne 6–1 Donegal Celtic
Glenavon 0–3 Linfield
Omagh Town 2–3 Glentoran
Tobermore United 1–1 Cromac Albion

Replays

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Team 1  Score  Team 2
Ballymena United 5–1 Ballyclare Comrades
Cromac Albion 0–1 Tobermore United

Quarter-finals

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Team 1  Score  Team 2
Cliftonville 0–0 Tobermore United
Crusaders 2–3 Ballymena United
Larne 0–0 Carrick Rangers
Glentoran 0–3 Linfield

Replays

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Team 1  Score  Team 2
Carrick Rangers 2–3 Larne
Tobermore United 0–1 Cliftonville

Semi-finals

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Team 1  Score  Team 2
Cliftonville 1–1 Larne
Linfield 1–1 Ballymena United

Replays

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Team 1  Score  Team 2
Ballymena United 2–1 Linfield
Larne 2–1 Cliftonville

Final

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Ballymena United1 – 0Larne
Hardy   73' Report

References

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  1. ^ "Northern Ireland Cup Finals". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. RSSSF. Retrieved 27 October 2012.
  2. ^ "Northern Ireland 1988/89". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. RSSSF. Retrieved 27 October 2012.