AT the end of a Six Nations season in which Scotland struggled to find forward gears, this was the equivalent of reversing through a hedge.

All credit to Ireland for a magnificent, championship-winning performance, but the Scots were bedraggled by the end, their confidence shot to pieces. Goodness knows how they will rebuild in time for the forthcoming World Cup.

This was Scotland's fifth successive defeat, completing their first whitewash season since 2012. The promise of their two autumn wins has been dynamited by their performances over the past few weeks. They started the Six Nations with buoyant displays against France and Wales, but they have been sinking fast since.

Alarmingly, this was also the third time this year that the Scots have failed to score a single point after half time. They have toyed with the affections of their fans, but they have let them down badly in a succession of games. "I don't think we've ever been in a place where we've been made so welcome," said Ireland coach Joe Schmidt at the finish. He was talking about the Scottish public, but he might as well have been talking about the Scottish team.

There is no question that Scotland have some good players at the moment, but yesterday it was hard to imagine even one of them ousting their counterpart in the Irish side. Ireland were on top of Scotland everywhere: in the line-outs, at the breakdowns, mentally. They might have started slowly and they might have faltered for a little while in the middle of the first half, but it was only a matter of time before they were on top on the scoreboard as well.

And how. Not only did Ireland wrap up the title, they also matched their record-winning margin (a 36-6 win in 2003) as they did so. They played with a kind of measured ferocity, their intensity in contact much more than anything Scotland could cope with.

In that regard, Sean O'Brien, the Ireland openside, had a magnificent game. He ended it with the man-of-the-match award and two tries against his name. O'Brien took his scores superbly, but it was his destructive power that Scotland will remember and rue.

The hulking figure of Paul O'Connell will figure in a few of their nightmares as well. O'Connell is a 24-carat legend of the modern game and the Irish captain lived up to that billing with a display of omniscient energy that made a mockery of his 35 years. There were suggestions that this might have been his final Six Nations game; if true, he goes out at the top in every sense.

O'Connell will soldier on to the World Cup, of course. For their part, Scotland are limping in that direction. They now have a five-month break from Test rugby, the last two of which will be spent in camp, building up to the tournament. There will be no comfort for them in knowing their first warm-up match in August will be against Ireland in Dublin.

Their defences crumbled early here. They were on the back foot almost from the start, and the first of the four tries they conceded arrived after just four minutes. As with the three that came later, it had its origins at a line-out, although it was the swift efficiency of what Ireland did after that phase that ripped Scotland to shreds.

From the right touchline, and near the Scottish 10m line, Ireland zipped the ball to Jonny Sexton and then on to the midfield. A wonderful switch move sent Robbie Henshaw hurtling through a gap which saw Ireland set up camp on the Scottish line. They crabbed sideways as they churned the ball through a few rucks, with O'Connell finishing off to the right of the posts as he lumbered over from short range.

O'Brien was next, getting his first touchdown in the 24th minute when Devin Toner collected the ball in the middle of a line-out on the left and simply handed the thing on to the flanker. The Scottish forwards had been drawn out of position, so O'Brien thundered on, wafting past Dougie Fife on his way to the line.

Greig Laidlaw had clipped over a penalty for the Scots by then, and his side went on to enjoy their best period during that third quarter. On the half-hour mark, a crafty, if slightly lucky, breakout by Stuart Hogg and Tommy Seymour gave Scotland a position deep in the Irish 22, from where Finn Russell skipped over in the left corner for his first Scotland try.

Hogg also had a try chalked off for a knock-on just before the break, although it seemed that it may have been played backwards by an Irish hand. All of which gave the Scottish fans reasons for hope as they waited for the start of the second period, but that hope was quickly extinguished.

It was clear from the restart that Ireland were upping the tempo and intensity. Jonny Sexton landed his third penalty five minutes into the half, and Jared Payne added the third try soon afterwards, sent through between the posts by a lovely reverse pass from Sexton.

By then, the Scots were at sea. Sexton added another penalty just after the hour mark and O'Brien blasted over for the last try with eight minutes left. There was no way back for Scotland then. The problem for coach Vern Cotter now is to find a way forward.

Scotland: S Hogg; D Fife (T Visser, 11-21), M Bennett (T Visser, 71), M Scott (G Tonks, 69), T Seymour; F Russell, G Laidlaw (captain; S Hidalgo-Clyne, 56); R Grant (A Dickinson, 32), R Ford (F Brown, 52), E Murray (G Cross, 11), J Hamilton (T Swinson, 52), J Gray, A Ashe (R Harley, 56), B Cowan, D Denton.

Ireland: R Kearney; T Bowe, J Payne, R Henshaw, L Fitzgerald; J Sexton (I Madigan, 71), C Murray (E Reddan, 79); C Healy (J McGrath, 54), R Best (S Cronin, 61), M Ross (M Moore, 46), D Toner (I Henderson, 61), P O'Connell (captain), P O'Mahony, S O'Brien (J Murphy, 73), J Heaslip.

Referee: J Garces (France)

Attendance: 67,144