The League of Ireland Cup, also referred to in Ireland as the 'League Cup', was an annual knockout competition in men's football in Ireland. It was contested by League of Ireland clubs and invited clubs from the lower levels of the Irish football league system. It has been sponsored by Electronic Arts and branded the EA Sports Cup since 2009.
The competition began in 1973âÂÂ74, replacing the League of Ireland Shield and the Dublin City Cup. It has had several formats since its inception and has been a knock-out competition since 2005. As there was no European qualification for winners of the League of Ireland Cup, it had a lower status than the FAI Cup and was therefore seen as the third most important trophy in the Irish playing season.
The competition was not held in 2020 and 2021 as a result of delays and restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and has yet to resume being held as of 2025.
Source:
Bass League Cup: 1975âÂÂ76 â 1978âÂÂ79
Opel League Cup: 1986âÂÂ87 â 1989âÂÂ90
Bord Gáis League Cup: 1990âÂÂ91 â 1995âÂÂ96
Harp Lager League Cup: 1996âÂÂ97 â 1998âÂÂ99
Eircom League Cup: 1999âÂÂ2000 â 2008
EA Sports Cup: 2009 âÂÂ
The Final has been broadcast live since 2005, first by Setanta Sports, then since 2016 by its successor channel Eir Sport