The hosts were 93-6 with four overs remaining in Guyana after Dockrell had taken 3-16 with his slow left-arm.
But Darren Sammy clicked into gear with 30 off 17 balls to help them achieve a respectable enough total of 138-9.
It was the St Lucian's night as he took 3-7 and held four catches as Ireland crumbled to a dismal 68 all out.
In the first match of the same group that also features Paul Collingwood's England, West Indies won the toss - and as Sri Lanka had done on the same wicket four hours earlier elected to bat first.
But whereas Sri Lanka were unable to defend their score of 135-6, overhauled as they were by New Zealand in a final-over thriller, the Windies ultimately beat the Irish underdogs with total comfort.
Windies skipper Chris Gayle missed the match after straining a buttock muscle, and injury also robbed them of two important bowlers in Sulieman Benn and Jerome Taylor.
Their top five batsmen all got starts, but then got out to give the Irish reason for optimism.
Shivnarine Chanderpaul top-edged a pull in the third over but Dwayne Bravo was unlucky to be caught and bowled by Alex Cusack from a confident drive which bounced off the Irishman's chest and rolled up his leg before being taken.
Dockrell took two wickets in an over when lofted drives were safely taken inside the boundary ropes, and picked up a third through a Niall O'Brien catch at the wicket - after Boyd Rankin had removed Narsingh Deonarine.
But just as Ireland threatened the unthinkable - three years after beating Pakistan in the World Cup - Sammy reignited the Windies innings in timely fashion as 32 runs came in the space of two overs, bowled by Rankin and the experienced Trent Johnston.
Sammy hit two fours and two sixes in that time, while Kieron Pollard added a classy boundary of his own.
And though neither man lasted until the finish, the momentum had shifted.
Sammy took an excellent slip catch from the second ball of Ireland's innings to remove Will Porterfield, and then accepted an easy offering inside the ring when Paul Stirling's attempted pull off Ravi Rampaul went wrong.
Either side of a 30-minute rain break, Rampaul picked up two further wickets as Ireland were rapidly overwhelmed.
In desperation, Kevin O'Brien launched a big shot as soon as Sammy came into the attack, but unerringly picked out long-on.
There was no respite for the batsmen as the wickets were shared around, and the highest scorer was extras, with 19.
Fittingly, the last wicket came when Sammy had Dockrell caught behind for the second lowest total in Twenty20 internationals with 20 balls remaining.
Ireland skipper Porterfield said afterwards: "We were right in it at half time, it was just disappointing with the bat.
"We lost four wickets in the first 21 balls. We were right on the back foot from there and the wicket was always going to get lower and harder to score on.
"We can be pretty positive about the way young George Dockrell bowled and it could be a straight shoot-out between ourselves and England when we play them."
West Indies stand-in skipper Bravo said: "My team-mates made my job very easy, they gave me a lot of information and I am very happy that we won our first game.
"I know Sammy is a clean hitter of the ball. I always had faith in the lower order and knew once we got over 130 it would be difficult for Ireland.
"With Darren and also Nikita Miller bowling it was always going to be very hard for them to get past us if we put the balls in the right areas."
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