Dungannon Swifts wrote a brand new chapter in the historical past books at Stangmore Park final season once they lifted the Irish Cup for the very first time.
The Swifts erased their penalty shootout agony from 2007’s showpiece closing in opposition to Linfield as they overcame Cliftonville on spot kicks to seal a well-known victory for the County Tyrone facet.
Rodney McAree’s facet confirmed their mettle to preserve going regardless of Shea Kearney cancelling out John McGovern’s first-half header and having to play for over an hour with 10 males after Steven Scott’s dismissal.
The Reds’ relationship with the Irish Cup has been a love/hate one. Jim Magilton’s facet ended 45 years of damage with a 3-1 win over Linfield in the 2024 closing, then got here out second finest final 12 months, and now have the alternative to attain the decider for a 3rd season in a row.
The 2024 closing will reside lengthy in the reminiscence of the Solitude trustworthy particularly after Ronan Hale’s iconic second aim in further time, when he ran two-thirds of the pitch to fireplace into an empty aim.
After successful the cup seven instances between 1883 and 1909 Cliftonville had to wait one other 70 years for that legendary 3-2 win over Portadown in 1979.
Coleraine followers have additionally had to present numerous endurance in the Irish Cup down the years with their first triumph coming in opposition to Glenavon in 1965.
The Nineteen Seventies was their peak years in the competitors with three wins – 1972 in opposition to Portadown, and twice in opposition to Linfield in 1975 and 1977.
Twenty-six years handed earlier than the Bannsiders’ subsequent win in 2003 when Jody Tolan’s aim stopped Glentoran successful the ‘clear sweep’.
Coleraine final lifted the trophy in 2018 thanks to a 3-1 win over Cliftonville with Eoin Bradley’s trophy-clinching aim setting off wild scenes of celebration together with then supervisor Kearney haring off down the Windsor Park touchline for an enormous pile-on.
Remarkably, Larne are the solely facet in the final 4 who’ve but to win the Irish Cup, however they’ve appeared in six finals.
The most up-to-date got here again in 2021 when Jeff Hughes scored a late comfort for the Inver Reds as Shayne Lavery and Joel Cooper had been on course to safe the win for Linfield at Mourneview Park.
