# 1996–97 Irish Cup

The 1996–97 Irish Cup was the 117th edition of the Irish Cup, Northern Ireland's premier football knock-out cup competition. It concluded on 3 May 1997 with the final.
Glentoran were the defending champions after winning their 16th Irish Cup last season, with a 1–0 win over Glenavon in the 1996 final. This season Glenavon went one better by winning the cup for the 5th time, with a 1–0 win over Cliftonville in the final.

## Results
### First round

Dungiven Celtic and Malachians were given byes into the second round.
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
| 1st Shankill NISC | 3–5 | Donard Hospital |
| AFC Craigavon | 2–5 | Oxford United Stars |
| Abbey Villa | 0–2 | Downshire Young Men |
| Annagh United | 2–4 | Shorts |
| Armoy United | 6–1 | Killymoon Rangers |
| Ballynahinch United | 2–1 | Orangefield Old Boys |
| Bangor Amateurs | 4–2 | Ards Rangers |
| Bessbrook United | 1–1 | Glebe Rangers |
| Bridge End United | 1–2 | Rathfriland Rangers |
| Cullybackey | 1–5 | Civil Service |
| Dromara Village | 1–1 | Comber Recreation |
| Drummond United | 4–2 | Roe Valley |
| Hanover | 2–0 | Larne Tech Old Boys |
| Harland & Wolff Welders | 4–0 | 1st Bangor Old Boys |
| Islandmagee | 5–3 | Laurelvale |
| Magherafelt Sky Blues | 0–0 | East Belfast |
| Mountnorris | 0–1 | Killyleagh Youth |
| Portglenone | 5–4 | Queen's University |
| Portstewart | 4–0 | Seapatrick |
| Richhill | 4–0 | 1st Liverpool |
| Saintfield United | 2–2 | Barn United |
| UUC | 0–4 | Northern Telecom |
| Wellington Recreation | 0–2 | Harland & Wolff Sports |

#### Replays

| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
| Barn United | 0–0 (a.e.t.) (6–5 p) | Saintfield United |
| Comber Recreation | 1–2 (a.e.t.) | Dromara Village |
| East Belfast | 8–0 | Magherafelt Sky Blues |
| Glebe Rangers | 4–2 (a.e.t.) | Bessbrook United |

### Second round

| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
| Armoy United | 3–4 | Donard Hospital |
| Ballynahinch United | 4–3 | Harland & Wolff Sport |
| Dromara Village | 2–1 | Killyleagh Youth |
| Drummond United | 10–0 | Richhill |
| Dungiven Celtic | 1–4 | Harland & Wolff Welders |
| Glebe Rangers | 1–2 | Barn United |
| Hanover | 3–5 | Oxford United Stars |
| Islandmagee | 4–1 | Bangor Amateurs |
| Malachians | 1–3 | Civil Service |
| Nortel | 2–2 | East Belfast |
| Portglenone | 1–1 | Downshire Young Men |
| Shorts | 1–1 | Portstewart |

#### Replays

| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
| Downshire Young Men | 1–2 (a.e.t.) | Portglenone |
| East Belfast | 1–1 (a.e.t.) (2–4 p) | Northern Telecom |

### Second round (A)

The following teams were given byes into the third round: Barn United, Civil Service, Donard Hospital, Dromara Village, Northern Telecom, Oxford United Stars and Portstewart.
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
| Drummond United | 2–2 | Rathfriland Rangers |
| Harland & Wolff Welders | 0–0 | Ballynahinch United |
| Portglenone | 1–3 | Islandmagee |

#### Replays

| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
| Ballynahinch United | 2–5 | Harland & Wolff Welders |
| Rathfriland Rangers | 2–5 | Drummond United |

### Third round

| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
| Ballynahinch United | 1–0 | Civil Service |
| Barn United | 2–2 | Donard Hospital |
| Dromara Village | 3–0 | Oxford United Stars |
| Northern Telecom | 1–0 | Drummond United |
| Portstewart | 2–1 | Islandmagee |

#### Replay

| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
| Donard Hospital | 2–3 | Barn United |

### Fourth round

| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
| Banbridge Town | 0–2 | Portstewart |
| British Telecom | 5–2 | Cookstown United |
| Chimney Corner | 6–0 | Kilmore Recreation |
| Coagh United | 2–1 | Ballymoney United |
| Crumlin United | 4–1 | Tobermore United |
| Crewe United | 0–2 | Brantwood |
| Drumaness Mills | 2–1 | Armagh City |
| Dundela | 1–2 | Barn United |
| Dunmurry Recreation | 1–1 | Northern Telecom |
| FC Enkalon | 2–2 | Ballinamallard United |
| Institute | 2–1 | Donegal Celtic |
| Limavady United | 3–1 | Ballynahinch United |
| Park | 1–1 | Moyola Park |
| RUC | 1–1 | Dromara Village |

#### Replays

| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
| Dromara Village | 0–4 | RUC |
| Moyola Park | 0–1 | Park |
| Northern Telecom | 0–6 | Dunmurry Recreation |

### Fifth round

| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
| Ballyclare Comrades | 2–3 | Cliftonville |
| Bangor | 3–0 | Ballymena United |
| Brantwood | 0–2 | Dundela |
| British Telecom | 1–1 | Crumlin United |
| Carrick Rangers | 0–0 | RUC |
| Coleraine | 2–1 | Linfield |
| Crusaders | 4–1 | Institute |
| Drumaness Mills | 1–3 | Limavady United |
| Dungannon Swifts | 1–1 | Loughgall |
| Enkalon | 1–1 | Portstewart |
| Glenavon | 1–0 | Ards |
| Glentoran | 4–0 | Distillery |
| Larne | 0–2 | Coagh United |
| Newry Town | 0–0 | Omagh Town |
| Park | 0–4 | Chimney Corner |
| Portadown | 3–0 | Dunmurry Recreation |

#### Replays

| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
| Crumlin United | 4–1 | British Telecom |
| Loughgall | 3–1 | Dungannon Swifts |
| Omagh Town | 1–0 | Newry Town |
| Portstewart | 3–1 | Enkalon |
| RUC | 2–1 | Carrick Rangers |

### Sixth round

| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
| Crumlin United | 1–2 | Loughgall |
| Crusaders | 1–0 | Portadown |
| Dundela | 1–2 | Coagh United |
| Glenavon | 2–0 | Glentoran |
| Limavady United | 1–1 | Bangor |
| Omagh Town | 3–2 | Chimney Corner |
| Portstewart | 0–1 | Coleraine |
| RUC | 0–3 | Cliftonville |

#### Replay

| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
| Bangor | 0–2 | Limavady United |

### Quarter-finals

| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
| Cliftonville | 3–1 | Crusaders |
| Glenavon | 4–1 | Coagh United |
| Loughgall | 1–1 | Coleraine |
| Omagh Town | 2–2 | Limavady United |

#### Replays

| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
| Coleraine | 0–1 | Loughgall |
| Limavady United | 0–1 | Omagh Town |

### Semi-finals

| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
| Cliftonville | 3–1 | Loughgall |
| Glenavon | 5–0 | Omagh Town |