1978–79 Irish Cup
| Country |  Northern Ireland |
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Teams | 16 | ||
| Champions | Cliftonville (8th win) | ||
| Runners-up | Portadown | ||
| Matches played | 17 | ||
| Goals scored | 68 (4 per match) | ||
|
|||
The 1978–79 Irish Cup was the 99th edition of Northern Ireland's premier football knock-out cup competition.
The defending champions were Linfield, who defeated Ballymena United 3–1 in the 1977–78 final.[1] However, they were knocked out by eventual winners Cliftonville in the first round. Cliftonville went on to win the cup for the 8th time, defeating Portadown 3–2 in the final. The 1979 victory represented their first cup success in 70 years; this remains a record for the longest gap between Irish Cup wins.[2] To date, this is Cliftonville's last Irish Cup success, though they have reached the final five times since this win; in 1997, 1999, 2009 and 2013. They lost the 1997, 2009 and 2013 finals, and were disqualified before the final was played in 1999 when it was discovered that they had fielded an ineligible player in the earlier rounds.
First round
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Ards | 1–3 | Portadown |
| Ballymena United | 2–1 | Crusaders |
| Coleraine | 5–2 | Downpatrick Rec. |
| Distillery | 0–2 | Banbridge Town |
| Glenavon | 4–1 | Bangor |
| Larne | 3–2 | Glentoran |
| Linfield | 3–4 | Cliftonville |
| Omagh Town | 2–6 | RUC |
Quarter-finals
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Coleraine | 2–3 | Cliftonville |
| Glenavon | 3–2 | Banbridge Town |
| Portadown | 2–11 | Ballymena United |
| RUC | 0–1 | Larne |
1This tie required a replay, after the first game ended as a 0–0 draw.[2]
Semi-finals
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Cliftonville | 1–02 | Larne |
| Portadown | 2–1 | Glenavon |
2This tie required a replay, after the first game ended as a 2–2 draw.[2]
Final
|
28 April 1979
|
| Cliftonville | 3 – 2 | Portadown |
|---|---|---|
Platt  32'Adair 46'Bell 89' |
Report | Campbell 2' Alexander 77' |
