On Sunday 12 November, Bohemians FC take on St. Patrick's Athletic in the FAI Cup final.
The FAI Cup is the Republic of Ireland’s biggest domestic football cup, starting way back in 1922.
Last season, Derry City won the competition for the sixth time. This year, Bohemians seek an eighth all-time victory and St. Patrick's Athletic a fifth.
Ahead of the big match, Football Ground Guide provides you with the key information on the game, including a guide to the host stadium, information on tickets, which record looks set to be broken and plenty more.
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The history of the FAI Cup
The winners of the first-ever FAI Cup were Dublin side St. James Gate who beat Shamrock Rovers in a replay after the first final was drawn 1-1. The replay was won 1-0 by St. James Gate in front of 15,000 people at Dalymount Park. St. James Gate would become the Republic of Ireland’s first double-winning side when they also won the first League of Ireland title in 1922.
Twenty-seven different clubs have won the cup, including two from Northern Ireland, Derry City and Alton United.
The cup used to be known as the Free State Cup up until 1936.
The cup final was hosted at Dalymount Park, the home of Bohemians FC, until the 1989/90 final, when the venue for the final was changed to Lansdowne Road, now known as the Aviva Stadium.
Other venues throughout the years that hosted the FAI Cup final have been Shelbourne Park, Tolka Park, and Tallaght Stadium.
The largest win in the FAI Cup final came in 2022 when Derry City beat Shelbourne FC 4-0.
The largest attendance at a FAI Cup final was back in 1950/51 when Cork Athletic drew with Shelbourne, 1-1 at Dalymount Park in front of a crowd of 38,912.
Who has won the FAI Cup the most times?
Shamrock Rovers have won the most cups, lifting the trophy 25 times. Dundalk are next on the list with 12 titles, whilst Bohemians and Shelbourne are third with seven victories each.
How many times have Bohemians and St. Patricks Athletic won the FAI Cup final?
Bohemians have won the title seven times. The last time they lifted the trophy was back in 2008.
St. Patrick's Athletic have won the cup on four occasions, winning it last when they beat Bohemians back in 2021 at the Aviva Stadium.
FAI Cup final stadium: Dublin's Aviva Stadium
Formerly known as Lansdowne Road and renamed the Aviva Stadium after being reconstructed and finished being built back in 2013, it is the home of the Irish National Football team as well as being the venue for the FAI Cup final.
It has a capacity of 53,711 and will be the host stadium for the Europa League final in 2024.
The stadium is on the South Side of Dublin, at Lansdowne Road. It is accessible by various bus routes and is situated right beside a train station.
The stadium is located quite centrally so there are plenty of pubs and restaurants to choose from to have something to eat and drinks before the game, with Dublin City centre being only a 30-minute bus journey away.
The stadium itself has an unusual shape, with three sides of the ‘bowl shape’ having upper tiers, while the north stand of the stadium, which is usually used by away supporters, only has one tier.
Where can you watch the FAI Cup final?
If you aren’t traveling to the Aviva Stadium and wish to watch the game on TV then in the Republic of Ireland it is being shown on RTE2, the national broadcaster.
If you are watching from abroad, LOI TV is also streaming the game for €7 and should be made available to viewers from outside of the Republic of Ireland.
FAI Cup final tickets at the Aviva Stadium
The 2023 FAI Cup Final looks set to be a record-breaking occasion. Over 40,000 tickets have been sold for the headline fixture.
Despite these record-breaking sales, there are still tickets remaining for the FAI Cup final at the Aviva Stadium. These are available from as little as €20 for adults and €10 for concessions. It could be fantastic value.
The previous record crowd for an FAI Cup final crowd came in 1945 when Shamrock Rovers defeated Bohemians in front of a 41,238-strong crowd at Dalymount Park.
When Bohemians and St. Patrick's Athletic last met in the final in 2021, 37,000 fans watched on. It looks like there'll be many more than that this time around as the two Dublin sides meet in the final for a second time in three years.
If you want to get tickets for the game, Google ‘FAI Cup final ticketmaster'.