What's the furthest any Irish club side has made in Europe?

**Pauro 76** · 30/07/2009, 10:18 AM

Not sure where to put this, but just wondering what the furthest any Irish team has got in European competition?

**centre mid** · 30/07/2009, 10:19 AM

I suppose in recent years, Shels got to the 3rd QR of the Champions lge, the competitions change so much every few years its hard to quantify.

**MeathDrog** · 30/07/2009, 10:22 AM

Didn't Shamrock Rovers get to the quarter finals of the European Cup in the 60's?

**pineapple stu** · 30/07/2009, 10:23 AM

Linfield got to the European Cup quarter finals in 1967 or so; lost to CSKA Sofia. Dundalk go to the round before the quarters I think? Lost 3-2 to Celtic.

**RoversHead** · 30/07/2009, 10:23 AM

Linfield 1967 made the quarter or semi final in European cup I think.

**centre mid** · 30/07/2009, 10:25 AM

Originally Posted by MeathDrog

Didn't Shamrock Rovers get to the quarter finals of the European Cup in the 60's?

2nd round of Uefa cup on a couple of occasions is the best Rovers did IIRC. Dont think they ever made it past 1st round of the European Cup.

**MeathDrog** · 30/07/2009, 10:28 AM

Originally Posted by centre mid

2nd round of Uefa cup on a couple of occasions is the best Rovers did IIRC. Dont think they ever made it past 1st round of the European Cup.

Fair enough.

**Dodge** · 30/07/2009, 10:42 AM

The only clubs to get past two rounds in a (non inter toto) European competition are

Dundalk in 79/80 (I think thats the year) before they lost narrowly to Celtic. (Prelim and first round in European Cup)

Shels before losing to Deportivo in CL, and then Nantes in the UEFA Cup 1st round proper

Cork before losing to Slavia Prague in the UEFA Cup 1st round

Derry before losing to PSG in the UEFA Cup 1st round proper

Pats before losing to Hertha in the UEFA Cup first round proper last year

**JC_GUFC** · 30/07/2009, 10:45 AM

With all the changes to formats it's probably best to measure this in terms of rounds teams have won.

In the 2004 Intertoto Cup

Cork won through 2 rounds, the first League of Ireland club ever to do so.*

They beat Malmo (Sweden), NEC Nijmegen (Holland) before losing to Nantes (France)

Shels did the same a few months later in the 04-05 Champions League

They beat KR Reykjavik (Iceland), Hajduk Split (Croatia) before losing to Deportivo La Coruna (Spain).
They qualified for the UEFA Cup and lost to Lille (France).
It is the only time a League of Ireland club has played 8 games in one European season.

Cork in the 05-06 UEFA Cup won 2 rounds

They beat Ekranas (Lithuania), Djurgarden (Sweden) before losing to Slavia Prague (Czech Rep).

Derry in the 06-07 UEFA Cup won 2 rounds

They beat Gothenburg (Sweden), Gretna (Scotland) and lost to PSG (France)

Pat's in 08-09 UEFA Cup won 2 rounds

They beat JFK Olimps (Latvia), Elfsbourg (Sweden) and lost to Hertha Berlin (Germany)

*I've just seen Dodge's post

In the 79-80 European Cup Dundalk won 2 rounds.

They beat Linfield (N Ireland), Hibernians (Malta) before losing to Celtic.

**Real ale Madrid** · 30/07/2009, 10:46 AM

Originally Posted by Dodge

The only clubs to get past two rounds in a (non inter toto)
Shels before losing to Deportivo in CL, and then Nantes in the UEFA Cup 1st round proper

Pedantic Pat says they lost to Lille

**brendy_éire** · 30/07/2009, 10:47 AM

Carrick Rangers got to the last 16 of the Cup Winners' Cup in 1976.

**seand** · 30/07/2009, 10:48 AM

Dundalk made the last 16 of the European Cup in 1979-80 by winning through two rounds. That was the furthest any League of Ireland team has progressed and the only time a League of Ireland team won through two rounds before the introduction of qualifying rounds for the 'smaller' countries.

Up north Linfield made the quarterfinals of the European Cup in 67-8. Beat a team from Luxemborg and then Valerenga.

Glentoran beat Romanian and Norwegian teams to make the quarterfinal of the Cup Winners Cup in 73-4

Shels are the only LoI team to play in four rounds in one season, 3 in the Champions League and one in UEFA Cup in 2004 (Reykavik, Hajduk, Deportivo, Lille). Cork and Derry also progressed through two qualifying rounds in the UEFA Cup in 2005 and 2006.

and the Intertoto doens't count!

**Steve Bruce** · 30/07/2009, 10:49 AM

Originally Posted by brendy_éire

Carrick Rangers got to the last 16 of the Cup Winners' Cup in 1976.

I think Glentoran also got to the quarter finals of the Cup Winners cup in the 70s as well.

Just waiting on a Glenman claiming to be the first club in the United Kingdom to win a European cup (Vienna Cup)

**Dodge** · 30/07/2009, 10:49 AM

JC is right with Lille, dunno why I thought Nantes

But Dundalk were first past two rounds, beating Linfield and Hibs of malta

**seand** · 30/07/2009, 10:54 AM

Originally Posted by Steve Bruce

I think Glentoran also got to the quarter finals of the Cup Winners cup in the 70s as well.

Just waiting on a Glenman claiming to be the first club in the United Kingdom to win a European cup (Vienna Cup)

Let's not forget Bohs' memorable Anciens Angleurs trophy in the 20s!

(adjusts anorak)

**Real ale Madrid** · 30/07/2009, 10:57 AM

Originally Posted by Steve Bruce

Just waiting on a Glenman claiming to be the first club in the United Kingdom to win a European cup (Vienna Cup)

Well if they did - they did!

Amazing progression for the league over the past 5 years - no real achievements in Europe,bar the odd lucky draw or two, before the switch to summer soccer.

**JC_GUFC** · 30/07/2009, 10:57 AM

Originally Posted by seand

Dundalk made the last 16 of the European Cup in 1979-80 by winning through two rounds. That was the furthest any League of Ireland team has progressed and the only time a League of Ireland team won through two rounds before the introduction of qualifying rounds for the 'smaller' countries.

That's true but games against the teams you beat would be qualifying rounds now and there are obviously more countries now anyway!

It's interesting to note that since 2004 there has only been one season in which no club has won 2 rounds. I think both Pat's and Derry will struggle to match that this season though but they've joined the competition a round later than usual.

**Straightstory** · 30/07/2009, 11:02 AM

Celtic won the European Cup in 1967. They're Irish, aren't they?

**White Horse** · 30/07/2009, 11:02 AM

Originally Posted by seand

Dundalk made the last 16 of the European Cup in 1979-80 by winning through two rounds.

There are good details of this epic tie on the following page:

http://www.dundalkfc.com/dundalkfcwe...e_79Celtic.htm

Don't remind Tommy Mac of his (in)famous miss at the end of the second leg that would have set up a quater final versus Real Madrid.

**JC_GUFC** · 30/07/2009, 11:06 AM

Originally Posted by Real ale Madrid

Well if they did - they did!

Amazing progression for the league over the past 5 years - no real achievements in Europe,bar the odd lucky draw or two, before the switch to summer soccer.

Not quite true - results were definitely getting better

In 2000-01 Bohs beat Aberdeen before running Kaiserslautern close in the UEFA Cup, Shels beat Sloga Jugomagnat of Macedonia in the Champions League. In 01-02 Bohs beat Levadia Maardu in the Champions League.

but without doubt the move to summer football has pushed it on to another level.