Cork City were founded in 1984 and spent their first two seasons at Flower Lodge before a move to Turner’s Cross where they won their first silverware, lifting the League Cup in 1987/88. The Leesiders reached their first FAI Cup final the following year, losing out to Derry City after a replay. Another FAI Cup final was lost in 1991/92, this time to Bohemians but the club landed their first League title in 1992/93 after a complicated three-way play-off with Bohemians and Shelbourne.

The following season, 1993/94, saw the club make an ill-fated move to Bishopstown where, over the next two years, Damien Richardson’s team did well in the league and played Galatasaray and Slavia Prague in Europe. But the pitch was akin to a marsh and the club were forced to play in Turner’s Cross, St Colman’s Park and even in Tolka Park with the pitch unplayable.

In 1995/96 the club entered receivership and left Bishopstown. Homeless and struggling to survive, a return to Turner's Cross was negotiated and City avoided relegation with a ninth place finish. Things started to improve under manager Dave Barry and the club won their second FAI Cup in 1997/98, beating Shelbourne 1-0 in a replay at Dalymount Park. In the next two seasons City finished second in the league and Barry said goodbye in the summer of 2000.

In 2004, under Pat Dolan, City beat Malmo and NEC Nijmegen in the Intertoto Cup and a 1-1 draw with Nantes at a packed Turner’s Cross wasn’t quite enough to overturn a first-leg defeat. Dolan’s team finished second in the league that year but he departed in pre-season of 2005 to be replaced by Damien Richardson who promptly led the club to their second league title as City beat Derry in the last game of the season at Turner’s Cross in front of an estimated 12,000 crowd. A fortnight later City missed out on the double when they lost the FAI Cup final to Drogheda United.

City won the 2007 FAI Cup, beating Longford Town 1-0 at a rain-soaked RDS but off the pitch the storm clouds were brewing. Venture capital firm, Arkaga, took over ownership of the club and within a short period of time they pulled out, leaving City in examinership. In October 2008 Tom Coughlan stepped in to rescue the club but things continued to deteriorate. In 2009 Paul Doolin led City to a third place finish but the club’s finances imploded and after a protracted legal process Cork City were wound up in February 2010.

In anticipation of this City supporters had applied for their own license to join the league and under the name Cork City Foras Co-op, they competed in the 2010 First Division. In 2011 they bought back the name and history of Cork City FC and won the First Division title, returning the club to the top tier of Irish football.

League Champions: Three times
1992/93, 2005, 2017

First Division Champions: Once
2011

FAI Cup Winners: Four times
1997/98, 2007, 2016, 2017

League Cup Winners: Three times
1987/88, 1994/95, 1998/99

Setanta Cup Winners: Once
2008