Top Four Cup

{{about|the football tournament in the Republic of Ireland|the football tournament in Northern Ireland|Top Four Cup (Northern Ireland)}}

{{EngvarB|date=September 2018}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2018}}

{{infobox football tournament

| current =

| logo =

| founded = 1955–56

| number of teams = 4

| region = Republic of Ireland

| current champions =

| most successful club = Waterford (5 wins)

| website =

}}

The Top Four Cup was an association football super cup featuring the top four clubs in the League of Ireland. It was first held in 1955–56 and last played for in 1973–74. It was played at the end of the season. Shamrock Rovers were the inaugural winners and subsequently featured in seven finals. Waterford won the competition the most times, five times in total.{{cite web|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesi/iertop4hist.html|title=Ireland – List of Top Four Cup Winners|publisher=Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation}} The competition was sponsored by the Irish Independent and a result was also known as the Independent Cup.{{cite book|last=Paul Doolan|first=Robert Goggins|title=The Hoops|publisher=Gill & MacmillanLtd|year=1993|isbn=0-7171-2121-6}}{{cite web|url=http://upthedrums.weebly.com/bunny-fulham.html|title=Bunny Fulham (Drumcondra) Recalls Sunny Spain & Some Soccer Sorcery|publisher=upthedrums.weebly.com|access-date=3 October 2016}} The cup was last won by Cork Celtic and is currently on display in the Evergreen Bar in Turners Cross, Cork. During the late 1960s the (Northern) Irish Football League also organised a Top Four Cup. Between 1998 and 2001 the FAI organised a similar formatted competition known as the FAI Super Cup.

List of finals

class="wikitable collapsible"

! Season

! Winner

! Score

! Runners-up

! Venue

1955–56Shamrock Rovers1–0WaterfordDalymount Park
1956–57Evergreen United2–1DrumcondraDalymount Park
1957–58Shamrock Rovers2–1DrumcondraDalymount Park
1958–59Evergreen United1–0Shamrock RoversDalymount Park
1959–60Cork Celtic2–1ShelbourneDalymount Park
1960–61Drumcondra1–1Cork CelticDalymount Park
ReplayDrumcondra2–2Cork CelticThe Mardyke
2nd ReplayDrumcondra3–0Cork CelticTolka Park
1961–62Shelbourne2–1Cork CelticDalymount Park
1962–63 League of Ireland|1962–63Drumcondra2–2Cork CelticTolka Park
ReplayDrumcondra4–3Cork CelticTurners Cross
1963–64Dundalk0–0LimerickDalymount Park
ReplayDundalk2–0LimerickTolka Park
1964–65Drumcondra3–0Shamrock RoversDalymount Park
1965–66Shamrock Rovers3–3BohemiansDalymount Park
ReplayShamrock Rovers1–1BohemiansTolka Park
2nd ReplayShamrock Rovers3–0BohemiansDalymount Park
1966–67Dundalk0–0BohemiansDalymount Park
ReplayDundalk2–1BohemiansTolka Park
1967–68Waterford3–2Shamrock RoversTolka Park
1968–69Waterford2–0Shamrock RoversTolka Park
1969–70Waterford6–2Cork HiberniansKilcohan Park
1970–71Waterford3–0Cork HiberniansTolka Park
1971–72Bohemians2–1Finn HarpsDalymount Park
1972–73Waterford6–2BohemiansTolka Park
1973–74Cork Celtic Cork Celtic won on penalties0–0BohemiansFlower Lodge

{{small|Source:{{cite web|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesi/iertop4hist.html|title=Ireland – List of Top Four Cup Winners|publisher=Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation}} }}

=Notes=

See also

References