Recalled to win his 106th cap, the 33 year-old Munster player scored 11 points with a try and three conversions to go alongside first half tries from Jamie Heaslip and Eoin Reddan.
Only Irish generosity on the penalty count kept Scotland in the game with Chris Paterson sending over 15 points with the boot and Dan Parks adding a drop goal.
The win keeps Ireland's championship hopes alive while Scotland are now staring down the barrell of a likely Wooden Spoon showdown with Italy having lost three in a row.
Both sides opted for new half-back pairings in a bid to revive flagging campaigns with a stark contrast at fly-half where Ireland's O'Gara returned for his 106th cap whilst Ruaridh Jackson started for Scotland for the first time.
Veteran Paterson returned at full-back for the Scots, one of seven changes to the side that lost to Wales. Fit-again winger Tommy Bowe was one of three Irish changes, all among the backs.
Ireland applied the early pressure following a fine O'Gara cross-field kick over the head of Paterson and into the corner.
The Irish pack was held up short of the line, before Heaslip darted over on an offload from Rory Best to put the visitors 7-0 ahead after six minutes.
Scotland were struggling to make much headway down the middle, but a break by Nikki Walker down the right wing after 16 minutes took them into the Irish 22m.
The Irish forwards then went offside at a ruck, and Paterson stepped forward to nail a perfect kick from near the touchline.
Two minutes later, Ireland offended again at a ruck as Scotland drove down the middle and again Paterson made no mistake from 40 yards out with the penalty.
O'Gara narrowly missed with a penalty attempt for Ireland, but he pinned Scotland back again with another inch-perfect kick deep into the Scottish 22m.
Scotland made a hash of the ensuing line-out and were forced into conceding a five-metre scrum from which Heaslip's drive found scrum-half Reddan at his shoulder to scamper in under the posts.
O'Gara's conversion made it 14-6 for Ireland after 29 minutes with the visitors enjoying most of the possession and territorial advantage.
More Irish indiscipline two minutes later, however, allowed Paterson to cut the lead to six points with a 38-metre penalty.
A superb, multi-phased Irish drive died four metres out from the Scottish line after O'Gara was penalised for holding onto the ball in the tackle, before Sean Lamont's try-saving tackle on Irish winger Keith Earls brought the first half to an end.
Ireland continued to look the more potent attacking force as the second half opened and when Scotland prop Allan Jacobsen was sin-binned after 44 minutes, the Scots were struggling to hold on.
Ireland were comfortably finding the gaps in the Scottish line, with two charging runs from flanker Sean O'Brien to the fore, but were failing to turn their domination into points.
All that changed after 52 minutes when after another bout of intense Irish pressure, O'Gara jinked his way through the last line of defence for a try under the posts which he then converted for a 21-9 lead to Ireland.
Two more penalties from Paterson after 58 and 66 minutes put the Scots back in the game and a Parks drop made it 21-18 with 10 minutes to go.
Scotland were enjoying their best spell of the match as the Irish flagged, but despite an all-out onslaught in the closing minutes they could not come up with the break they needed to steal the win at the death.
Daily Telegraph 27/02/2011
Veteran Paterson returned at full-back for the Scots, one of seven changes to the side that lost to Wales. Fit-again winger Tommy Bowe was one of three Irish changes, all among the backs.
Ireland applied the early pressure following a fine O'Gara cross-field kick over the head of Paterson and into the corner.
The Irish pack was held up short of the line, before Heaslip darted over on an offload from Rory Best to put the visitors 7-0 ahead after six minutes.
Scotland were struggling to make much headway down the middle, but a break by Nikki Walker down the right wing after 16 minutes took them into the Irish 22m.
The Irish forwards then went offside at a ruck, and Paterson stepped forward to nail a perfect kick from near the touchline.
Two minutes later, Ireland offended again at a ruck as Scotland drove down the middle and again Paterson made no mistake from 40 yards out with the penalty.
O'Gara narrowly missed with a penalty attempt for Ireland, but he pinned Scotland back again with another inch-perfect kick deep into the Scottish 22m.
Scotland made a hash of the ensuing line-out and were forced into conceding a five-metre scrum from which Heaslip's drive found scrum-half Reddan at his shoulder to scamper in under the posts.
O'Gara's conversion made it 14-6 for Ireland after 29 minutes with the visitors enjoying most of the possession and territorial advantage.
More Irish indiscipline two minutes later, however, allowed Paterson to cut the lead to six points with a 38-metre penalty.
A superb, multi-phased Irish drive died four metres out from the Scottish line after O'Gara was penalised for holding onto the ball in the tackle, before Sean Lamont's try-saving tackle on Irish winger Keith Earls brought the first half to an end.
Ireland continued to look the more potent attacking force as the second half opened and when Scotland prop Allan Jacobsen was sin-binned after 44 minutes, the Scots were struggling to hold on.
Ireland were comfortably finding the gaps in the Scottish line, with two charging runs from flanker Sean O'Brien to the fore, but were failing to turn their domination into points.
All that changed after 52 minutes when after another bout of intense Irish pressure, O'Gara jinked his way through the last line of defence for a try under the posts which he then converted for a 21-9 lead to Ireland.
Two more penalties from Paterson after 58 and 66 minutes put the Scots back in the game and a Parks drop made it 21-18 with 10 minutes to go.
Scotland were enjoying their best spell of the match as the Irish flagged, but despite an all-out onslaught in the closing minutes they could not come up with the break they needed to steal the win at the death.
Daily Telegraph 27/02/2011
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