On a night when Ireland and Lions lock Paul O’Connell ended his three-month absence from rugby, Munster stung their provincial rivals with three tries, one from captain O’Connell, in the closing half-hour at Thomond Park.

The win – Munster’s 20th in 21 home games – pulls Declan Kidney’s men clear of Edinburgh.

Connacht, who tied the game up at 14-14 thanks to fly-half Paul Warwick’s converted try seven minutes into the second half, are still waiting for their first win against the men in red since 1986.

Munster deservedly hit the front after nine minutes when flanker Denis Leamy bulldozed over in the right corner after good interlinking play between former New Zealand Schools fly-half Jeremy Manning, Leamy and South African winger Anthon Pitout.

Manning chipped his conversion attempt against the post but the 20-year-old drilled over lengthy penalties on 14, 25 and 37 minutes to display his burgeoning confidence and send Munster into the interval with a 14-7 lead.

It could have been more but Connacht, for whom prop Dan McFarland was making his 100th appearance, deserved to be in touch.

Warwick converted Joe Merrigan’s first try for his province on 21 minutes when he looped around from his own lineout throw and plunged over from a close-in ruck.

Manning missed an injury-time penalty shot at 14-7 up, and Munster were made to pay the price when Australian Warwick, showing all his Sevens experience, dummied past Barry Murphy to go over near the posts.

The conversion squared up an electric encounter but Munster, who unloaded a replacements bench boasting 221 international caps, had too much in the tank.

O’Connell showed no ill-effects of the hand injury which had seen him sidelined since September when he stole a 53rd-minute lineout to plunge over from five metres out.

A Warwick penalty reduced the deficit to 21-17 for Connacht, but yellow cards for flanker Michael Swift, for a high tackle on Peter Stringer, and prop Stephen Knoop – for a scrum infringement – hampered the visitors’ hopes.

Munster made certain of the win when Manning slotted his fourth penalty and Gary Connolly sent out a long pass for the unmarked Anthony Horgan to touch down in the 73rd minute.

Italian prop Federico Pucciariello, fed by replacement Anthony Foley, scored in the right corner in injury-time to chalk up a valuable bonus point for Kidney’s side.