WATCH: At work with Limerick carpenter William O'Connor ahead of PDC World Darts glory bid

"IT'S life-changing money at the World Darts Championships. The winner gets stg£500,000 along with sponsorship deals you are probably talking about a couple of million in the end. It's crazy, really.”

“The opportunities that are there for everyone, it's incredible. What Rob Cross did last year was unheard of, probably won't happen again. His life has changed now because of it, just one tournament.

“Look, I am not saying that I am going to win the World Championships, but I'm there to definitely battle for the title anyway!”

Thirty two-year-old Cappamore carpenter William O'Connor is taking some time out from his work at Furniture Man in Dromkeen to look ahead to the Professional Darts' Corporation (PDC) World Darts Championship at the famed Alexandra Palace, or ‘Ally Pally’ as it will be known to by tens of thousands of TV darts fans over the Christmas and New Year's period.

This will be O'Connor's second visit to the PDC World Championship, following his early exit at the hands of the wily Steve Beaton 12 months ago. But O'Connor is a year older and wiser and he has some excellent form in the book.

This year the Limerick arrowsmith has already toppled the likes of multiple world champion, Michael van Gerwen knocking him out of the Dutch Darts Championship in front of his own fans, as well as reigning PDC World champion Rob Cross in the European Matchplay final where he also overcame both Kim Huybrechts and Mensur Suljovic

O'Connor, nicknamed 'The Magpie' was a latecomer to darts.

“I didn't start playing darts until I was 18 or 19 in Cappamore in a local pub. A friend of mine took over a pub there and he suckered me into playing a couple of games one time.

“I was fairly decent from the get-go and took it from there. I took it bit by bit.

“I started playing on the PDC circuit in April 2010. I picked up darts for the first time in 2005.

“My first TV event was the UK Open on Sky Sports in June 2010. Stuart Monaghan in my first game, beat him 6-0 in first live TV game. I then beat Peter Wright, Mark Frost and got beaten by James Wade 9-3 which probably wasn't a fair reflection. Nerves got the better of me. I was very green.

“The TV cameras are not too bad, the odd one catches your eye, but it's not bad and you don't worry about that. The heat is something that takes time to get used to.

“ The lights give off unreal heat, they are all halogen lights coming from everywhere.

“You have to get used to the heckling of the crowd, the booing, the banging, the insults, it's mad like. You can't rally hear what goes on on TV, the microphones are dubbed a bit, but that takes time to get used to.

“The crowd are good craic in general though, I never had too much stick to be fair, maybe once or twice.”

Unlike several of his rivals who had practice full-time ahead of the World Championships, O'Connor combines his day to day job as a carpenter with preparing for his ‘Ally Pally’ appearance this weekend.

“I practice, well, probably not enough, to be honest.

“When I do I practice in a pub owned by a friend of mine in Caherconlish, Robert Mulcahy. He supported me there for a few years as well, looks after me with the darts.

“My practice partner is Fergus Bourke, from Limerick city, who is a Limerick county player. He is a very high standard player, one to watch out for too in the future, very, very talented player.

“Darts is definitely a very, very mental game. When you leave the professional scene and you go back to your roots and watch normal pub players, you can see the difference, mentally, mental strength wise, it's unbelievable.

“If you show any kind of emotion playing in the PDC, you will be hockeyed, they will jump all over you. It is crazy, very hard to explain. There is a huge, huge difference.”

So would O'Connor think about going full-time at darts anytime soon?

“If I get a good run at the World Championships I will definitely consider going full-time, 100%. I know my game is there, I just have to get up and do it.

“You still have bills to pay, darts isn't a job where you turn up and if you don't win money, you don't get paid, you get nothing. You are going to have your good days, you are going to have your bad days, you get a run of bad luck, you have no money coming in, so you have to have all that covered before you think about doing anything like turning pro.

“Until there comes a stage where I get a good enough run, I'm going to stick at my job, I'm happy enough with it, the lads look after me. I will see how it goes.”

O'Connor opens his World Championship campaign against Dutch thrower Yordi Meeuwisse from 12.30pm this Sunday.

He says: “Last year when I did play Steven Beaton, I knew I had the beating of him. I should have won the match. I missed a couple of doubles,

“I am quietly confident about my draw this time. I have never played Yordi who I play in the first round. I have seen him play either, so that is on my mind more than his ability.

“Hopefully, I get over that game and play James Wilson (next Wednesday). James is a cracking player. He has had a fantastic year, probably playing the best darts of his life. I know if I play my game, I can beat him.

“To me it is not about my opponent, it is about me.

“When I am up on stage, I am not there to make money. I am there to win. I don't like losing. I am there to win.

“Every game I go out to play, I just want to win that game. The money comes second, I want to win, that's it, so there is no pressure with me with money. I don't think about money, I don't want to lose, I want to win every game I play.

“I go over on the Saturday. I am getting great support. There are four or five lads coming over with me.”