Ireland will face co-hosts Bangladesh in Dhaka in their opening fixture at the 2011 Cricket World Cup.
The format of the 2011 tournament has changed from the 2007 event, where Ireland progressed to the Super Eights stage after beating Pakistan and earning a tie against Zimbabwe in their group games.
The new format consists of two groups of seven with the top four from each group qualifying for the quarter-finals.
Ireland’s opener in Dhaka, Bangladesh, will take place on 25 February 2011 against the side that they beat in the Super Eights in Barbados at the last World Cup.
After the Bangladesh clash, Ireland will move to Bangalore in central India where they will take on England on 2 March and India four days later.
Mohali in northern India is the next stop for Phil Simmons side where they will face the West Indies on 11 March.
Kolkata is where Ireland will play their final group games against South Africa on 15 March and the Netherlands on 18 March.
There will be no St Patrick’s Day extravaganza for the Ireland team and the travelling Blarney Army as it is a rest day for Phil Simmons’ side.
Ireland defeated Pakistan on St Patrick’s Day in Jamaica at the 2007 World Cup, a result that is ranked as one of the greatest upsets in cricket history.
Realistically, Ireland will need to win at least three of their six games to qualify for the quarter-finals.
Ireland skipper William Porterfield is confident that his side can give another good account of themselves at the highest level, following their qualification for the Super 8 phase at the last two ICC tournaments.
Porterfield said: 'It's a tough opener for us. We saw just over 18 months ago how difficult a proposition Bangladesh are in their own back yard when we lost 3-0, but we'll be much better prepared come the 2011 World Cup. It's all going to be about getting acclimatised to the conditions on the sub-continent.
'I know we are currently in the process of getting our itinerary finalised for next year, and we're hoping to get to the sub-continent at least once and probably twice before the 2011 tournament.
'We'll be working hard as we know it's going to be difficult with the group we've been given, but if we play to our full potential, we know we have the ability to win games and reach the last eight.
'I see no reason why we can't make it three in a row in terms of getting through to the final stages.
'There's a lot of big games there which is what you'd expect. Not only do we play Bangladesh on their home soil, but that's a massive clash with India as well.
'It's going to be an incredible experience playing them in front of a capacity crowd of their fans. The England game is one which all the players relish, while I'm sure Phil (Simmons) will look forward to the West Indies game as a former player.
'It's always a challenge when you take on South Africa with the talent at their disposal, but we've acquitted ourselves well against all the top sides in the past.
'Our final game with The Netherlands will be keenly contested. We've had some great tussles with them in recent years, and I'm sure the World Cup will be no different.
'The last two campaigns on the world stage has given the squad a belief, and we know what we can do. We have assembled a pretty talented and experienced squad, and I see no reason why we can't be competitive and reach the latter stages.'
