The cup finalists met four times in the league this season, playing out 1-1 draws in their Premiership encounters in August and October, before Coleraine inflicted a 1-0 defeat on the Belfast Blues at Windsor Park on 3 January.

The eventual champions ran out comfortable 5-1 winners in the most recent meeting between the sides two weeks ago. A crucial result given that championship rivals Crusaders were losing 3-0 to Ballymena United 25 miles down the road.

Image source, Presseye

The life and times of Coleraine boss Oran Kearney...

Cast your mind back four years to the 2013 Irish Cup final and it was Andrew Waterworth making all the goalscoring headlines - for Linfield's big rivals Glentoran.

Waterworth found the net twice as the Glens,under the guidance of former manager Eddie Patterson, emerged 3-1 victors over Cliftonville, who had just been crowned league champions.

That was the ex-Hamilton Academical and Lisburn Distillery player's last appearance for the Glens before switching allegiance to Linfield. 

Jimmy Callacher, another player to move from the Glens to the Blues, also scored in that game.

Both players have been instrumental in Linfield's recent league success, with Waterworth grabbing the vital hat-trick which clinched a decisive 4-1 win over Cliftonville at Solitude last week.

Image source, Presseye

Marty Quinn
Former Coleraine manager

Both sides have claimed some major casualties en route to their progress to this year's final.

Linfield count cross-city Belfast rivals Glentoran and deposed league champions Crusaders among their victims as they target a 43rd success in the competition. The Blues then saw off a determined Dungannon Swifts side at Mourneview Park at the semi-final stage.

Along Coleraine's conquests are their derby rivals Ballymena United and last year's cup winners Glenavon.

Lyle Jackson
BBC Sport at Windsor Park

Both teams are out on Windsor Park, going through various stretching exercises, to the accompaniment of the Maguiresbridge Silver Band who are in fine tune as they march around the pitch. They’re the only trumpets being blown so far - as the players of Coleraine and Linfield are focused on the job in hand!

Former Coleraine player and BBC pundit Liam Beckett has some cup final reflections....

The cup final coverage has begun on BBC ONE NI and BBC Radio Ulster. Enjoy....but stick with us as well. 

At one stage, not that many years ago, league and cup doubles were commonplace for Linfield supporters, six out of seven between 2006 and 2012 to be exact in the days when former boss David Jeffrey was at the helm at Windsor Park.

Jamie Mulgrew is the only survivor from the team which started the game the last time Linfield lifted the cup in 2012, though Chris Casement, who has since had a spell at Portadown, came on as a substitute that day. The defender is on the bench again today.

Image source, Presseye

Lyle Jackson
BBC Sport at Windsor Park

Linfield and Coleraine fans, earlier basking in the splendid city centre sunshine, have made their way to Windsor for what promises to be a colourful climax to Northern Ireland’s domestic football season.

This showpiece occasion always seems to possess a more friendly, carnival atmosphere when an ‘out of town’ team like Coleraine are involved.

Linfield supporters, who last week saw their heroes crowned champions at Solitude, will revel in the big-match occasion. But the Belfast Blues are playing at home. Nothing special in that, some would suggest.

For Coleraine fans, this is the be all and end all - the Bannsiders’ biggest match in years.

Oran Kearney’s men are rounding off a successful season - third in the Premiership and a Europa League place in the bag.

Now all they need is a trophy celebration to round it off.

Image source, BBC Sport

The Bannsiders' fans have gone back up the motorway disappointed after their last three appearances in major finals.

They watched their side lose 1-0 to Glentoran in the 2004 Irish Cup final and then came out second best to Linfield on a 2-1 scoreline in 2008.

Their last appearance in a decider saw them go down 1-0 to Crusaders in the League Cup final at Ballymena Showgrounds in January 2012.

Look back at the action as Peter Thompson's double helps Linfield win the Irish Cup the last time they met Coleraine in the showpiece decider in 2008.

Paddy McLaughlin gave the Bannsiders an early lead before the Blues striker pounced twice in six second-half minutes to give Linfield their third trophy of the season.

The club won the Irish Premiership title last weekend and will play Coleraine in Saturday's Irish Cup final at Windsor Park.

Linfield manager David Healy talks to BBC Sport NI about his first season in charge of the Irish League's most successful club, and his hopes for the future.

The teams are in! No major surprises,

Image source, BBC Sport

Northern Ireland and West Bromwich Albion central defender Gareth McAuley talks to BBC Sport NI's Joel Taggart about his memories of winning the 2003 Irish Cup final with Coleraine.

Lyle Jackson
BBC Sport at Windsor Park

Former Northern Ireland striker David Healy hopes to cap his first full season as a manager by winning the league and cup double with Linfield.

The 37-year-old was bitterly disappointed when the Blues lost to Glenavon in last year's final - six months after he followed ex-NI team-mate Warren Feeney into the Windsor Park hot seat.

With home advantage and on a long winning streak, the newly-crowned Premiership champions are predictably favouries for today's showpiece occasion.

But while some Linfield fans may expect to gorge on a regular diet of serious silverware, for Coleraine supporters it is all about hoping to see their team win the cup for the first time since 2003.

On that occasion Marty Quinn's team - including one Gareth McAuley - beat Glentoran for whom Michael O'Neill, now Northern Ireland manager of course, came on as a sub.

Image source, pre

There will be proud parents here today, hoping to see their boys win the Irish Cup.

But dad Mark Kane certainly has his hands full.

For starters, he will be at his sister Gillian's wedding at the Bushtown Hotel near Coleraine.

After the ceremony, a mad dash down to Belfast to watch 20-year-old son Lyndon play for the Bannsiders against Linfield.

Full-back Lyndon was six the last time Coleraine lifted the cup.

Win, lose or draw, it is back up the road for Mark - hopefully in time for the wedding reception.

If there's extra time at Windsor, he may miss the soup!

Image source, Press Eye

Well, it's a sunny first Saturday in May, and for Irish League fans that can mean only one thing - the Irish Cup final.

Yes, legend has it that the sun traditionally shines on the showpiece decider of the domestic season and it's no different today as Linfield and Coleraine prepare to lock horns for the premier piece of knockout silverware on offer in the local game at the National Stadium.

Sorry, Glentoran and Portadown fans, I know 2015 was an exception when it lashed down and blew a gale for the full 90 minutes at the Oval!

Stay with us throughout the afternoon for live coverage before, during and after the game, including live television coverage on BBC One NI, all the action on Radio Ulster from 14:00 BST, and live text commentary right here on the BBC Sport website.

Read our preview of the final here.