1997–98 Irish Cup

1997–98 Irish Cup

Tournament details
Country	Northern Ireland
Teams	32
Final positions
Champions	Glentoran (17th win)
Runner-up	Glenavon
Tournament statistics
Matches played	35
Goals scored	99 (2.83 per match)

The 1997–98 Irish Cup was the 118th edition of Northern Ireland's premier football knock-out cup competition. It concluded on 2 May 1998 with the final.

Glenavon were the defending champions after winning their 5th Irish Cup last season, with a 1–0 win over Cliftonville in the 1997 final. This season Glenavon reached the final again for the third year in a row, but were defeated 1–0 after extra time by Glentoran, who won the cup for the 17th time. This was a repeat of the 1995–96 final two years earlier that also ended 1–0 to the Glens.

Fifth round

Team 1	Score	Team 2
Ards	0–2	Institute
Ballyclare Comrades	5–1	Ballymoney United
Ballymena United	1–1	Glentoran
Carrick Rangers	2–3	Armagh City
Cliftonville	0–2	Glenavon
Coleraine	3–1	Chimney Corner
Crusaders	1–0	Bangor
Distillery	2–0	RUC
Drumaness Mills	0–0	Killyleagh Youth
Dungannon Swifts	6–2	Ballinamallard United
Dunmurry Recreation	0–4	Ards Rangers
Larne	1–2	Portadown
Linfield	1–0	Tobermore United
Loughgall	4–0	Crumlin United
Newry Town	1–0	Dundela
Omagh Town	3–0	Limavady United

Replays

Team 1	Score	Team 2
Glentoran	2–1	Ballymena United
Killyleagh Youth	2–0	Drumaness Mills

Sixth round

Team 1	Score	Team 2
Armagh City	0–0	Ards Rangers
Crusaders	2–1	Killyleagh Youth
Dungannon Swifts	0–1	Institute
Glenavon	0–0	Ballyclare Comrades
Glentoran	3–2	Coleraine
Linfield	2–1	Newry Town
Loughgall	1–2	Distillery
Portadown	2–0	Omagh Town

Replays

Team 1	Score	Team 2
Armagh City	3–1	Ards Rangers
Ballyclare Comrades	0–4	Glenavon

Quarter-finals

Team 1	Score	Team 2
Armagh City	1–3	Glentoran
Crusaders	4–0	Institute
Linfield	3–0	Portadown
Distillery	0–2	Glenavon

Semi-finals

Team 1	Score	Team 2
Crusaders	1–3	Glenavon
Glentoran	2–1	Linfield

Final

2 May 1998

Glentoran	1 – 0 (a.e.t.)	Glenavon
	Report

Windsor Park, Belfast