“A relatively stress-free night” – Keane Barry makes light work of crowd favourite to set-up meeting with Martin Schindler at Ally Pally

Keane Barry took an important step forward in his development at the PDC World Darts Championship, producing a convincing opening-round win over Tim Pusey.

The young Irishman, once labelled one of the biggest up-and-coming talents, looked calmer and more complete than ever on the Alexandra Palace stage. For the third year in a row he came through his opening match, but this time it felt different. More mature. More assured. As if he has finally found his feet on the sport’s biggest stage.

“Yeah, delighted really,” Barry said afterwards. “I was feeling good in my preparation beforehand, so it was nice to go up there and have a relatively stress-free night, and get into the next round.”

For many players, the World Championship at Ally Pally remains a major mental hurdle, but Barry admitted he has rarely felt as comfortable as he did this time. “Yeah, I think so. That’s probably the most comfortable I’ve felt in all the times I’ve played on the stage. It’s a nice feeling. I was feeling really confident in my game, and up there everything was flowing. I felt the scoring was good, the doubling was good. So yeah, there are definitely a lot of positives.”

It is a significant observation for a player who burst onto the scene a few years ago with considerable hype. After winning his PDC Tour Card, expectations followed quickly, but the breakthrough at senior level took longer than many anticipated.

“It’s just the way it is, isn’t it? It always happens when someone young comes through,” Barry said. “You saw the same with Josh Rock. At the very start he had a bit of a lull and everyone was saying, ‘what’s happening?’ But look what Josh is doing now. It happens all the time. Things will happen when they’re meant to happen.”

Barry is clear-eyed about his own trajectory. “Personally, I feel like I’m definitely good enough to do a lot of great things in darts, but sometimes it takes time. Sometimes it happens quicker for others. We’ll see how it goes.”

The central challenge for Barry remains consistency at the highest level. While he was prolific on the Development Tour, translating that form to the Pro Tour and televised events has proven more demanding.

“I think it’s just finding that consistency, to be honest,” he explained. “The top players can do it at a consistent level all the time. It’s finding that little bit of consistency.”

He believes the last six months point in the right direction. “In the last six months, I don’t think I’m near where I was a couple of years ago, but I’m getting there, slowly getting there. I’m really looking forward to next year and I’m hoping to kick on a little bit more and see how we improve.”

Round two brings an immediate test in the shape of Martin Schindler, Germany’s number one and a regular presence on the Pro Tour. Barry’s view of the task ahead is pragmatic.

“They’re all tough opponents. In the World Championship there’s never an easy game. I just need to go up and do what I did tonight, play my game, and hopefully on Sunday I play well enough to win.”

Barry is well aware that a deep run could reshape his season, but he is determined not to look too far ahead. “I’m not really thinking about that, to be fair. I’m just taking one game at a time. Obviously at the World Championship everyone wants to do very well, but there’s no point looking forward to rounds three and four. You need to get over round two first. So all my focus is on Sunday now.”

It was a strong night for Irish darts, with William O'Connor also recording an impressive victory earlier in the evening. Barry followed events from the practice room. “Yeah, I was watching in the practice room. All the Irish lads did very well, and it’s good to see the Irish flag flying high.”

The atmosphere inside Alexandra Palace played its part, but rather than distracting him, Barry embraced it. “I love it. I drive on the atmosphere,” he said. “The crowd were big fans of Tim, so it was good. They were chanting his name and it was just a good buzz. It didn’t bother me really. I thought it was a bit of fun, so yeah, I enjoyed it.”

A large group of family and friends were also present in the stands, something Barry values deeply. “Oh, it’s major,” he said. “Behind the scenes, they’re the people that pick you up when you’re down, and they’re there to support you when you’re winning. It’s nice to have everyone there. I had my mum and dad, my girlfriend and her family there as well. So it’s really nice to have the support and be able to share the highs with them.”

Barry’s story remains one of patience. While some talents break through rapidly, his path has been more gradual, and he appears increasingly comfortable with that reality. “I’m getting there, slowly getting there,” he said.

The focus remains unchanged: consistency, trust in the process, and incremental progress. “I’m really looking forward to next year,” Barry added. “I’m hoping to kick on a little bit more and see how we improve.”