Seamus Power and Niall Kearney lead home challenge at Horizon Irish Open

Seamus Power and Niall Kearney are best of the home contingent's early starters in the opening round of the Horizon Irish Open after carding 68s.

The duo are in a tie for 10th at Mount Juliet, four shots off the eight-under set by early clubhouse leader Ryan Fox of Australia, who holds a one-stroke advantage over France's Frederic Lacroix.

John Murphy is on two under, with Shane Lowry and Jonathan Caldwell a further shot back after 71s.

Paul Dunne and Mark Power are level par, while David Higgins is six-over after a 78.

Padraig Harrington, fresh from winning the US Senior Open on Sunday, is among the late starters, as are Colm Campbell and Cormac Sharvin.

LEADERBOARD

Power and Lowry started together on the back nine in a group with England's Tyrrell Hatton.

The Waterford native began with an immediate birdie on 10 before continuing his momentum with further birdies on 16 and 17.

A birdie on the second moved Power up to four under before a bogey on the Par-5 fifth set him back. He did have another bogey on the penultimate hole of the round but it was sandwiched by birdies on seven and nine.

Lowry, meanwhile, bogeyed the 12th but a birdie on 17 saw him level par halfway through.

Birdies on six and seven saw the 2009 Irish Open champion climb up the leaderboard but a bogey on the next hole saw him drop back to one under.

Kearney, who has enjoyed solid form on the DP World Tour, also started on the back nine and began in blistering form. The Dubliner managed five birdies by the turn, including three-in-succession on 13, 14 and 15.

There was less progress on the front nine before he bogeyed the eighth to sit on four under alongside Power.

But it's Australia's Fox who set the early pace with a bogey-free 64. Birdies on 10 and 17