Mick O'Driscoll, Howlett and James Coughlan added further tries and Ronan O'Gara kicked a total of 15 points.
Ronan O'Gara had a 100% record with the boot as he landed 16 points.
Wilkinson returns from injury and starts at loosehead, with Ronan Loughney included among the replacements.
Man-of-the-match Ronan O'Gara kicked over five penalties from five attempts as the Munster forwards dominated.
BBC: Ronan O'Gara is tackled by Stanley Wright and Trevor Hogan
Ronan O'Gara converted with the last kick of the match to level the scores.
Mike Blair and Ronan O'Gara do look like a possible Test half-back partnership though.
Sexton, however, will be relishing the challenge of replacing Ronan O'Gara, particularly on his own turf.
Ronan O'Gara, Gordon D'Arcy, Jonathan Sexton and Shane Horgan were also rested from Tuesday's training.
Frontman Ronan Keating won Best-Dressed Male, Prince of Pop and Most Fanciable Male on the Planet.
Fly-half Ronan O'Gara played the wind and rain perfectly, kicking sensibly for position and booting 19 points.
The sides were level at 3-3 at half-time with Isa Nacewa cancelling out a Ronan O'Gara penalty.
Jones's drop-goal on 75 minutes made it 15-14 to Wales but Ronan O'Gara answered with his own three minutes later.
Denis Leamy's try and a Ronan O'Gara conversion and penalty put Munster 10-3 up after 35 minutes.
Armagh hit back to lead 0-3 to 0-1 with McConville, Ronan Clarke and McDonnell all splitting the posts.
BBC: SPORT | Northern Ireland | Gaelic Games | Lucky Armagh survive
Points from Brian Mallon, Aaron Kernan, Ronan Clarke and Oisin McConville put the Orchard men three points clear.
BBC: SPORT | Northern Ireland | Gaelic Games | McConville fires Armagh to glory
Munster then summoned up a huge finish with Marcus Horan burrowing his way over before Niall Ronan's clincher.
He joins captain Paul O'Connell, Ronan O'Gara and fellow Irish debutant Tommy Bowe against a Royal XV in Rustenburg.
Coach Passmore has brought both Ronan Gormley and Gleghorne for the tournament after they missed the Setanta Sports Cup.
BBC: SPORT | Other Sport... | Hockey | Eight Ulstermen in Ireland squad
That was down to a bit of miscommunication between me and Ronan (O'Gara) and it gave them a headstart.
"Ronan contributes so much to Munster but it's the forwards who put him on the front foot, " said Gaffney.
But the doctors told my family that Ronan was brain dead and there was no chance he would survive.
Ulster replied with tries from Ronan McCormack, Andy Ward, Scott Young and Paddy Wallace who also kicked three conversions.
Ronan O'Gara got Ireland's only score with a drop-goal in the first half.
Ronan and his model wife Yvonne are expecting their first baby next year.
But Munster pulled away in the second-half after introducing several experienced internationals, including Ronan O'Gara, Peter Stringer and Paul O'Connell.
Ian Humphreys converted and the fly-half added a penalty after Ronan O'Gara pulled a penalty attempt just wide for Munster.
Irish led 15-6 at the break via four penalties and a drop-goal from Ryan Lamb to two Ronan O'Gara penalties.
Gary Brown (three), Bryce Williams, Felipe Contepomi, Denis Hickie, Rob Kearney, John Hepworth and replacement Niall Ronan all got touchdowns.
Ronan Dunne, chief executive O2, said both big and small businesses had a role to play and tackling the issue.
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