The Dragons closed on Munster's play-off spot with a scorching win over the Magners League holders in Newport.
Outstanding wings Aled Brew and Will Harries crossed either side of a penalty try earned by Munster's scrum power as the Dragons sizzled out wide.
A Tommy O'Donnell try hauled the Irish back into it, but, with Wayne Evans in the bin, 16-point man-of-the-match Jason Tovey set up a Martyn Thomas try.
Brew blew a bonus-point chance, before Tony Buckley's late consolation score.
It was the Dragons' first win over Munster since January 2007, as the Welsh side keep one eye on the top-four league play-off spots and another on staying ahead of fellow Welsh regions the Scarlets and Blues in the race for Heineken Cup qualification.
The Rodney Parade outfit had started with both their Wales squad members, Luke Charteris and Dan Lydiate.
The latter was soon in action to telling effect, getting underneath Doug Howlett as the Munster wing looked certain to score in the corner.
A series of scrum fives followed that saw the Welsh side's forwards buckle, but the visitors lost control at the crucial moment, knocking on as a try beckoned.
Veteran Ireland and British and Irish Lions fly-half Ronan O'Gara also let the Dragons off the hook as he missed a straightforward penalty.
The Welsh made Munster pay as Tovey fired a pass out wide to Brew on the half-way line.
The wing had little space in which to work, but he handed off Munster hooker Denis Fogarty, powered away from Alan Quinlan, then drove over the top of full-back Paul Warwick for a stunning score that was improved by Tovey.
The Irish struck straight back with a series of short-range scrums on the Dragons' line, the men in red choosing the set piece as the home side conceded repeated scrum offences.
Harries used his Wales Sevens skills to stunning effect
Referee Dudley Phillips' patience finally snapped as the Dragons' eight retreated and stood up in the shadow of their posts, awarding a penalty try that O'Gara had no trouble in converting.
The home side finished the half the stronger, though, lively wing Harries sparking a fine attack that resulted in a Tovey penalty.
The Dragons attacked again from the restart, Lifeimi Mafi seeing the yellow card as Munster went offside, and Tovey's resultant penalty taking the Welsh to a 13-7 half-time lead.
Harries, back from Wales Sevens duty, got his side firing again at the start of the second period with a fine run down the right.
The forwards rolled on towards the Munster line, and when the ball was fired back into midfield the youngster had the pace and power to drive home under the posts, Tovey converting.
O'Gara fluffed another simple penalty for the 14-man visitors, but a missed Lydiate tackle on Fogarty got them back on the front foot, flanker O'Donnell crossing after a flowing move for an unconverted try.
That was the flanker's last significant contribution before his injury departure, while Munster hands at a ruck and questioning of the referee allowed Tovey to stretch the lead with a penalty.
Brew had a chance to virtually seal the game from a charged-down O'Gara kick in midfield, the wing hacking forward with the line at his mercy, only to be let down by his footwork.
And the game was back in the melting pot as Evans spoilt a quickly taken Munster penalty in the shadow of his posts, the Dragons scrum-half being sent to the sin bin as O'Gara booted three points.
But the 14-man Dragons held out, then, with the sin-bin period about to end, Tovey struck a rapier blow.
A delightful chip over the top and hack through tore the defence apart then, despite making hard work of the follow-up, from the recycled ball the fly-half sent Thomas into acres of space with a long pass, the full-back competing an easy run-in.
Harries came close to stealing the show with an electrifying 60m run down the sideline, Brew knocking on as the ball came back inside, but Tovey offering consolation with a penalty.
In the final minute, Munster drove the Dragons forwards off their own scrum ball near the home side's line and - after a series of short-range attacks - Buckley crossed under the posts for a converted try.
Dragons lock Luke Charteris: "Massive credit to the boys, Wayne Evans and Jason Tovey were outstanding.
"Our backs are quite similar to Wales, when we give them the ball they can cut anyone apart.
"I'm sure the public will be hoping to see the same next week [when Wales play Ireland], I hope I'll win selection."
Jason Tovey added: "At the start of the week we thought that we could really come at Munster with a few of their internationals out.
"But look at their team-sheet and they still had a great side out, so fair play to the boys."
Dragons: M. Thomas, Harries, Watkins, Smith, Brew, Tovey, W. Evans, Gustafson, Willis, Castle, A. Jones, Charteris, Lydiate, G. Thomas, L. Evans. Replacements: Arlidge for Tovey (77). Not Used: S. Jones, Palmer, Sidoli, MacDonald, Riley, Leadbeater.
Munster: Warwick, Howlett, Mafi, de Villiers, D. Hurley, O'Gara, Stringer, Horan, Fogarty, Buckley, O'Driscoll, Holland, Quinlan, O'Donnell, Coughlan. Replacements: Deasy for de Villiers (76), D. Williams for Stringer (68), Brugnaut for Horan (67), Varley for Fogarty (62), Nagle for Quinlan (70), N. Williams for O'Donnell (50). Not Used: O'Boyle, Archer.
E-mail this to a friend 
Printable version 
Bookmark with:
What are these?