Keane Barry first of eight Irish in action at World Darts Championship

Meath's Keane Barry will be the first of eight Irish players in action at the PDC World Darts Championship after the schedule for the Alexandra Palace showpiece event was confirmed.

Barry, ranked 41st in the PDC order of merit, will play Reynaldo Rivera of the Philippines in round one on Saturday, 16 December with the winner to face second seed Michael van Gerwen, the three-time champion, in round two.

There is a World Championship debut for Tipperary’s Dylan Slevin, who faces Germany’s Florian Hempel on 17 December. Belgium’s Dimitri van den Bergh awaits the victor.

Republic of Ireland 2019 World Cup finalists Steve Lennon, from Carlow, and Willie O'Connor, from Limerick, face Owen Bates and Bhav Patel respectively in the afternoon session on Wednesday, 20 December.

Tyrone man Mickey Mansell can set up an all-Irish round-two clash with Fermanagh’s Brendan Dolan, the 28th seed, if he can overcome China’s Xiaochen Zong on 21 December.

Two-time major winner Daryl Gurney (below) starts his campaign two days later. The Derry native, seeded 27, will play the winner of Steve Beaton and Wessel Nijman.

Grand Slam quarter-finalist Josh Rock, the 23rd seed from Antrim, will face off against either Luke Woodhouse or Berry van Peer.

Elsewhere, world champion Michael Smith begins his defence on the opening night, 15 December, against Kevin Doets or American Stowe Buntz, who made a sensational debut at the Grand Slam earlier this month, reaching the quarter-finals.

World number three Luke Humphries - who has won three of the sport's last four TV ranking titles - will headline the action on Sunday, 17 December, when he takes on either Lee Evans or Sandro Eric Sosing.

Gerwyn Price begins his bid to lift the Sid Waddell Trophy for a second time