The Northern Ireland Football League Charity Shield is the national association football super cup in Northern Ireland. It has been held on an occasional basis since its inauguration in 1992. It pits together the previous campaign's NIFL Premiership champions and Irish Cup winners, providing the opening match of the Irish League season.
Dungannon Swifts are the current holders, after they defeated Linfield 5–3 on penalties in the 2025 edition to win the competition for the first time.
Sponsorship McEwan's Lager sponsored the competition between 1992 and 1994, and Wilkinson Sword were sponsors from 1998 until 2000, both of whom also sponsored other competitions in Irish League football. The proceeds from the 2014 and 2015 editions were donated to the Northern Ireland Hospice.
Format The Shield is held in early August as a single match. In the 1992 and 1993 editions, the trophy was shared between the two competing sides for six months when both matches finished level at full-time. However, the rules were later changed to ensure an outright winner. In the 2014 edition, a penalty shoot-out was used to determine the winner when the match ended level after 90 minutes, without extra time being played.
Results Key: Title was shared after match finished in a drawpens.Scores level after extra time. A penalty shootout was required to determine the winner.pens.Scores level after full time. A penalty shootout was required to determine the winner.
YearDateWinnerScoreRunner-upVenueAttendanceRef19928 AugustGlenavonGlentoran1–1—Windsor Park, Belfast2,000199310 AugustBangorLinfield1–1—Windsor Park, Belfast19943 AugustLinfield2–0BangorWindsor Park, Belfast19988 AugustCliftonville1–0GlentoranThe Oval, Belfast2,00019998 AugustPortadown2–1GlentoranMourneview Park, Lurgan2,00020005 AugustLinfield2–0GlentoranWindsor Park, Belfast10,50020142 AugustCliftonville 0 – 0 (4 – 2 pens.)Ballymena UnitedSolitude, Belfast20151 AugustGlentoran1–0CrusadersSolitude, Belfast201630 JulyGlenavon1–0CrusadersMourneview Park, Lurgan20175 AugustLinfield3–1ColeraineThe Oval, Belfast20226 AugustCrusaders2–0LinfieldWindsor Park, Belfast20231 JulyCrusaders2–0LarneInver Park, Larne20245 JulyLarne2–1CliftonvilleInver Park, Larne20254 JulyDungannon Swifts 0 – 0 (5 – 3 pens.)LinfieldWindsor Park, Belfast20263 JulyLarne 0 – 0 (3 – 2 pens.)ColeraineInver Park, Larne
Performance by club Team Winners Runners-up Winners Years Runners-up Years Linfield4 (1 shared)21993 (shared), 1994, 2000, 20172022, 2025 Glentoran2 (1 shared)31992 (shared), 20151998, 1999, 2000 Crusaders222022, 20232015, 2016 Cliftonville211998, 20142024 Larne212024, 20262023 Glenavon2 (1 shared)—1992 (shared), 2016— Bangor1 (shared)11993 (shared)1994 Portadown1—1999— Dungannon Swifts1—2025— Coleraine—2—2017, 2026 Ballymena United—1—2014
External links Charity Shield Archive at the Irish Football Club Project Irish League Archive - Charity Shield
References