Esther de Lange won the toss and elected to bat, but her side was outclassed in all three departments of the game, despite an excellent 46-ball knock of 53 from opener Miranda Veringmeier, a performance which earned her the Player of the Match award despite her team's comprehensive defeat.
She shared a 53-run opening stand with Sterre Kalis, but it took the pair 11 overs to reach this score, thanks to some well-directed bowling from seamers Kim Garth and Lucy O'Reilly in particular, supported by the spin of Ciara Metcalfe and Isobel Joyce.
Kalis was especially slow, seemingly overwhelmed by the occasion, and there were 18 dot balls in the first 23 deliveries she received, including a maiden over from O'Reilly.
Veringmeier was more positive, but accurate bowling supported by excellent fielding maintained the pressure on the batters, who were unable to keep the board ticking over by tucking the ball into the gaps.
Kalis was eventually the first to go, beaten by a Metcalfe delivery when she had made 12 from 30 balls, but Veringmeier continued in company with Heather Siegers until she was splendidly caught by Clare Shillington on the long on boundary off Joyce's bowling. She had hit eight fours in her 53, and her departure put paid to any chance of the Dutch setting a decent target.
The score was now 73 with less than six overs left, and the momentum sagged appreciably, with only 17 runs coming from the remaining 35 deliveries for the loss of four further wickets as the innings closed on 90 for six.
Isobel Joyce finished with the best figures, taking three for 18 in her four overs, while O'Reilly conceded only 8 runs from her four. Garth took one for 14 and Metcalfe two for 19.
Shillington and Cecilia Joyce immediately imposed themselves when Ireland replied, taking 26 from the first four overs. Then followed a nightmare over for De Lange, who conceded 15 runs including two no-balls for high full tosses.
By this point the Dutch fielding was beginning to crack under relentless pressure from the Irish openers, who were taking full advantage of some indifferent bowling and regularly piercing the field.
Joyce seemed to be heading imperiously towards a half-century, but then she was well caught by Juliėt Post off Kalis's bowling for a 30-ball 39 which included five boundaries. Shillington followed eight runs later, caught by Kalis off Cher van Slobbe for 33, and it was left to Garth and Cath Dalton to knock off the remaining runs, giving Ireland victory with 49 balls to spare.
The Dutch had received a cricket lesson, and Ireland will face China and Zimbabwe with supreme confidence.