After seeing their Heineken Cup campaign ended by Ulster, Munster responded in perfect style by running in three tries past fellow RaboDirect PRO12 play-off contenders Glasgow at Thomond Park.
That victory means Munster are still in with a shout of silverware this season in lifting the RaboDirect PRO12 trophy but more than anything it was the performance which helped put the smile back on the face of O'Connell.
Winger Luke O'Dea, back-rower Peter O'Mahony and replacement scrum-half Conor Murray got the tries with fly-half Ian Keatley contributing 20 points with the boot.
And with two games remaining - both against fellow play-off chasers in Scarlets and Ulster - O'Connell maintains spirits are as high as they have ever have been in the Munster camp.
"We played some decent rugby last week and it was a decent night for rugby down in Cork. We played with a lot of tempo and intensity," he said.
"I remember some results down the years when we have had really disappointing exits from Europe and sometimes we have not showed up and played our best afterwards.
"But I thought the way the lads played against Glasgow was excellent. It gave everyone a lift and everyone in the squad got a massive lift from it.
"We had a good training week and that's off the back of what the boys did at the weekend. They played with a lot of intensity and some lovely rugby.
"There was some nice offloading rugby which we have not always done this year and we will look to continue that this weekend."
Guinness PRO12 Munster News
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