Coleraine unsuccessfully defended its 1988 title in the second round losing to Portadown.
Portadown unsuccessfully defended its pursuit of the cup in the semifinals losing to Glentoran.
Glentoran unsuccessfully defended its pursuit of the cup in the final losing to arch-rivals Linfield, 2–1.
[1][2] The final was notable for the Glentoran goalkeeper Alan Paterson, scoring what turned out to be the winning goal.
[3] This was the first time that a goalkeeper had ever scored in a British football final.