Being a man down did not put them off as Emir Spahic cut the deficit in the 65th, prompting Portugal to at last take the game by the scruff of the neck by scoring three goals in 10 minutes with two for Helder Postiga and one for Miguel Veloso.
Ireland had already done the hard work in their first leg and any lingering Estonian thoughts of a comeback were wiped out when Stephen Ward swept in a rebound after visiting keeper Pavel Londak parried a Kevin Doyle header in the 31st minute.
Estonia got a 57th-minute consolation through Konstantin Vassiljev to make it 1-1 but the night belonged to the Irish, who will appear at their first major finals since the 2002 World Cup.
It was a sweet moment for Ireland, who were devastated two years ago when French striker Thierry Henry handled the ball in setting up a goal bundled in by William Gallas as France beat them to qualify for the 2010 World Cup finals.
"It's a great night for all the Irish fans. It's a night we'll never forget," Ireland captain Robbie Keane, who scored twice in the first leg in Tallinn, told Sky Sports television.
"Our team spirit has got us through this campaign. This is why we play football, for situations like these."
Ireland's Robbie Keane celebrates after qualifying against Estonia in their Euro 2012 playoff match on Tuesday
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