The 2026–27 Irish Cup (known as the Clearer Water Irish Cup for sponsorship purposes) is the 147th edition of the Irish Cup, the premier knock-out cup competition in Northern Irish football since its inauguration in 1881. Coleraine are the defending champions after defeating Dungannon Swifts in the 2026 final.
Calendar The dates for the 2026–27 Irish Cup were announced on 1 July 2026. RoundOriginal dateNumber of fixturesClubsNew EntriesLeagues entering at this roundFirst Round8 August 202634126 → 9268Regional intermediate clubsSecond Round12 September 20263292→ 603212 NAFL National Conference League18 regional clubs with a byeThird Round24 October 20261660 → 44NoneFourth round21 November 2026844 → 36NoneFifth round5 December 2026436 → 32NoneSixth round8 & 9 January 20271632 → 162812 NIFL Premiership clubs16 NIFL Championship clubsSeventh round12 & 13 February 2027816 → 8NoneQuarter-finals12 & 13 March 202748 → 4NoneSemi-finals2 & 3 April 202724 → 2NoneFinal1 May 202712 → 1None
First round 86 clubs below Tier 3 were entered the first round. The draw was held on 6 July 2026.
68 clubs were drawn into this round with 18 clubs receiving a bye. The following teams received byes to the Second Round: Abbey Villa, Aquinas, Ards Rangers, Banbridge Rangers, Castlewellan Town, Crumlin Star, Derriaghy CC, Donegal Celtic, Drumaness Mills, Dunmurry Recreation, Dunmurry Young Men, Inspired Talents F.C., Lisburn Rangers, Newcastle Town, Newmills F.C., Newtowne, Portavogie Rangers, St Mary's Youth.
Teams in bold advanced to the second round.
Ballymena & ProvincialMid-Ulster LeagueNorthern Amateur Football LeagueIntermediate Division 1 Ballymoney United Belfast Celtic Desertmartin Newbuildings United Wakehurst Wellington Rec Intermediate Division 2 Brantwood Chimney Corner Maiden City Heights Glebe Rangers Killymoon Rangers Tobermore UnitedIntermediate A Crewe United F.C. Mindwell Fivemiletown United Laurelvale Lower Maze Richhill AFC Seagoe Tandragee Rovers Valley Rangers Windmill Stars Intermediate B AFC Craigavon Bessbrook United Craigavon City Dromore Amateurs Hanover Markethill Swifts Portadown BBOB PSNI Seapatrick TullyvallenPremier Division Comber Recreation Dromara Village Holywood Immaculata Islandmagee Division 1A 1st Bangor Old Boys Albert Foundry Crumlin United Finaghy Greenisland Larne Technical Old Boys Shankill United Sirocco Works St Oliver Plunkett Mossley Kilmore Recreation Willowbank Division 1B Bryansburn Rangers Ballynahinch Olympic Downshire Young Men Dundonald Shamrock 18th Newtownabbey Old Boys Rosemount Rec St Mary's (Newtownabbey) St Matthews Killyleagh Youth Division 1C Bangor Amateurs Bloomfield Malachians Orangefield Old Boys Portaferry Rovers Saintfield United Suffolk Tullycarnet
!colspan="3" align="center"|7 August 2025
!colspan="3" align="center"|8 August 2025
Second round The 34 first round winners, 18 teams given byes, and the 12 NAFL National Conference League clubs entered the second round. The draw was held on 10 August 2026.
NAFL Conference LeagueBallymena & ProvincialMid-Ulster LeagueNorthern Amateur Football League Ballyclare Comrades Ballymacash Rangers Banbridge Town Coagh United Dergview Dollingstown Knockbreda Lisburn Distillery Oxford Sunnyside Portstewart Rosario YC St James' SwiftsIntermediate Division 1 Ballymoney United Desertmartin Donegal Celtic Newbuildings United Newtowne Wellington Rec Intermediate Division 2 Chimney Corner Maiden City Heights Inspired Talents F.C. Killymoon RangersIntermediate A Banbridge Rangers Crewe United Laurelvale Mindwell Newmills St Mary's Youth Intermediate B AFC Craigavon Craigavon City Hanover SeapatrickPremier Division Abbey Villa Ards Rangers Comber Recreation Crumlin Star Derriaghy CC Dromara Village Drumaness Mills Dunmurry Young Men Holywood Immaculata Islandmagee Lisburn Rangers Division 1A Albert Foundry Aquinas Dunmurry Recreation Finaghy Greenisland Shankill United Sirocco Works Mossley Kilmore Recreation Division 1B Ballynahinch Olympic Dundonald Newcastle Town Shamrock 18th Newtownabbey Old Boys St Mary's (Newtownabbey) St Matthews Killyleagh Youth Division 1C Castlewellan Town Portavogie Rangers
!colspan="3" align="center"|12 September 2026
Third round The third round will consist of the 32 winners of the previous round. The round will take place on 24 October 2026. NAFL Conference LeagueBallymena & ProvincialMid-Ulster LeagueNorthern Amateur Football League Ballyclare Comrades Ballymacash Rangers Coagh United Dollingstown Lisburn Distillery Oxford Sunnyside Portstewart Rosario YC St James' SwiftsIntermediate Division 1
Ballymoney United Desertmartin Wellington Rec
Intermediate Division 2
Maiden CityIntermediate A
Banbridge Rangers Mindwell Newmills
Intermediate B
Hanover SeapatrickPremier Division
Abbey Villa Ards Rangers Comber Recreation Crumlin Star Drumaness Mills Holywood Islandmagee
Division 1A
Albert Foundry Aquinas Greenisland Shankill United Sirocco Works Mossley Kilmore Recreation
Division 1B
Killyleagh Youth
!colspan="3" align="center"|24 October 2026
Fourth round The fourth round will consist of the 16 winners of the previous round. The round will take place on 21 November 2026.
Fifth round The fifth round will consist of the eight winners of the previous round. The round will take place on 5 December 2026.
Sixth round The sixth round will consist of the four winners of the previous round, the 12 clubs of the NIFL Premiership, and the 16 clubs of the NIFL Championship. The round will take place on 8 and 9 January 2027.
Seventh round The seventh round will consist of the 16 winners of the previous round. The round will take place on 12 and 13 February 2027.
Quarter-finals The eight seventh round winners will compete in the quarter-finals. The round will take place on 12 and 13 March 2027.
Semi-finals The four quarter-final winners will compete in the semi-finals, to take place on 2 and 3 April 2027.
Final The final will take place on 1 May 2027.
Broadcasting BBC NI Sports provides streaming coverage of the Irish Cup starting from the fifth round. The final will be broadcast live on BBC Television.
References