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Two first half goals from Kevin Doyle and Liam Lawrence helped Ireland to a 2-1 victory over Paraguay at the RDS.
Doyle put Ireland ahead in the seventh minute when he nodded home from close-range after Paraguay failed to clear a Damien Duff free-kick.
Lawrence lashed in the second on 39 minutes after Doyle cushioned Stephen Kelly's deft cross in his path.
Paraguay enjoyed large spells of possession and got back in to the game when Lucas Barrios fired home from the edge of the area.
A crowd of 16,722 turned up to watch Ireland's first football international at the famous show jumping arena since 1992 and they were rewarded with another spirited display from the home side.
Clearly keen to carry momentum into the 2012 European Championship qualifying campaign, Giovanni Trapattoni started with eight players who began that fateful play-off game in Paris.
Kieren Westwood was the most prominent inclusion as he replaced the injured Shay Given in goal to earn his fourth cap. The Coventry keeper dealt comfortably with everything that came his way and cannot be faulted for Barrios' goal.
The starting line-up may have been packed with experience but there was hope for the future, as Trapattoni gave international debuts to Cillian Sheridan, Paul Green and Keith Fahey.
Defence is Paraguay's strongpoint and they struggled to score goals in their successful qualifying campaign, yet the fact that they beat Brazil and Argentina showed they were a team that deserved respect.
However, the absence of strikers, Salvador Cabanas, who was shot in the head in a bar in Mexico in January, and Oscar Cardozo was evident as the South Americans lacked a cutting edge in the final third.
Doyle added to his growing reputation with another tireless man-of-the-match performance and grabbed his eighth international goal to put Ireland ahead in the seventh minute.
Damien Duff's free-kick was inadvertently turned onto his own bar by Roque Santa Cruz and Doyle was first to rebound to nod home. Not even a possible collision with the post could put him off.
Doyle was also involved in the build-up as Lawrence doubled Ireland's lead on 39 minutes, albeit against the run of play.
The Wexford man chested Stephen Kelly's cross onto Lawrence and he drove the bouncing ball beyond Aldo Bobadilla, with the aid of a deflection off Denis Caniza.
Paraguay had been the better side in the time between both goals, but despite plenty of possession in the Ireland half they did not test Westwood until first half injury-time.
Antolin Alcaraz stepped inside Glenn Whelan and his shot was headed for the bottom corner, but Westwood got down to flick the ball around the post.
Jonathan Santana and Cristian Riveros had seen plenty of the ball, as they tried to link up with their front men, but Ireland defended deep and denied them space in behind.
The scoreline could have been worse for Paraguay if referee Jerome Lapperriere had penalised Santa Cruz's nudge on Lawrence in the box.
Ireland sought to protect their lead after the break but both Duff and Doyle tested Bobadilla as Ireland played on the counter-attack.
Whelan set Duff away and he glided past Paulo da Silva before forcing a parry from the Paraguay keeper. Robbie Keane could not keep rebound down.
Paraguay were finally rewarded for their endeavours when Barrios scored on his international debut. The Argentina-born striker shimmed away from Sean St Ledger and Whelan on the edge of the area and beat Westwood with a confident finish.
Both sides made numerous substitutes as in the second half and it certainly had a negative effect on the tempo of the game.
Paraguay clearly had their sights set on a far bigger test, as they face Italy on 14 June in their opening World Cup game.
Ireland move on to face Algeria on Friday evening at the same venue, hoping that they can create some momentum for the Euro 2012 qualifiers, which kick off in Armenia in September.
Ireland: 1 Westwood: 3 Kelly, 2 McShane, 4 St Ledger, 5 O'Shea; 7 Lawrence (12 Foley '82), 6 Whelan (21 Green '69), 8 Andrews, 11 Duff (19 Fahey '77); 9 Doyle (17 Long '87), 10 Keane (14 Sheridan '63).
Subs not used: 13 Stokes, 15 O'Dea, 16 J Murphy, 18 Best, 20 Cunningham, 23 B Murphy.
Paraguay: 22 Bobadilla; 21 Alacaraz, 14 Da Silva, 4 Caniza, 3 Morel (6 Bonet '66); 11 Santana (8 Aquino '81), 16 Riveros (20 Ortigoza '66), 13 Vera (17 Torres '66), 7 Gamarra; 9 Santa Cruz (10 Martinez '77), 19 Barrios.
Subs not used: 1 Villar, 2 Veron, 5 JC Caceres, 15 V Caceres, 18 Achuarro, 23 M Caceres, 24 Estigarriba, 25 Ledesma.
Referee: Jerome Lapperriere (Switzerland).
Attendance: 16,722.
