Adventure in Ireland means different things to different people. For some, the height of adventure is a night on the town, visiting as many of Dublin’s 1,000 pubs as possible and downing a pint or two of Guinness in each of them. As adventures go, that pursuit can be as challenging as any.

But for others, the pursuit of adventure is essentially a wilderness activity; perhaps hiking up a hill in Tipperary — then jumping off the side. There is more to it than that, of course. Meticulous preparation and specialized equipment are involved. The sport is paragliding, and it provides an unrivaled perspective on this beautiful country. Ireland made the Irish. Any cliche preconception of its people can be extended to the terrain. The rolling pastures around the Wicklow Mountains are as green and joyous as a St. Patrick’s Day parade. The rocky Atlantic cliffs are as hostile and intimidating as a rough bar on a Saturday night. The bogs and misty mountains of Connemara are infused with Gaelic lyricism and mystique.

Although Dublin has changed dramatically in the past few years, forging a new, confident and very modern Irish identity, the essence of the nation is preserved in the countryside. Life is lived according to the dictates of the elements. Today, as we stand on a hilltop slipping ourselves into harnesses, with the parafoil — a hybrid of a wing and a parachute — spread out on the grass behind us, we are at the mercy of forces beyond our control. We need wind, but not too much. We need better visibility. If the weather doesn’t cooperate, we will have to pack up and trudge back down the hill.

We wait. The sun comes out; the wind is ideal. The instructor reels off instructions one more time, then we harness ourselves together for a tandem jump. It’s not comfortable, but then nobody scales a hill in southern Ireland for reasons of comfort. The moment arrives. We run a little way down the slope, the parafoil lifts and inflates. Suddenly we are no longer on the ground. The hill drops away and our feet are left dangling in clear air. We catch a thermal and gently corkscrew upward. Ireland is spread beneath us like a map.

For five minutes we soar above sheep-speckled fields. The vista is tremendous, and yet, from this bird’s-eye vantage, we feel severed from the land. The earthy scents of Ireland are lost on the breeze. The sensation is almost dreamlike. All too soon, we descend. A flat, open field provides the perfect landing spot. We hit the ground running, but at an easy pace. It only takes a few steps to reach a standstill. The parafoil collapses behind us. Our reconnection with the earth has been heralded in a singularly appropriate manner — we have run straight through a cow pie.

At ground level, Ireland has shrunk. We are hemmed in by drystone walls and rounded hills. There is little sense of the wide-open space we glimpsed from above. Our intention now is to reduce the view still further by going underground.

We drive north for three-and-a-half hours to the beautiful lakeland region that straddles the border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. An ambitious ecotourism project, Greenbox, has sought to bridge the divide by incorporating attractions and activities on both sides of the border. We will be crossing between the two territories, often without even knowing it.

A kayak excursion on Lough MacNean pays no heed to national boundaries. The border runs down the middle of the lake, and we paddle across without hindrance. Water currents do not observe the manmade boundaries, and we have the luxury of being able to go with the flow, wherever it may take us.

The landscape seems solid enough, but in fact it is hollow. Two distinct networks of limestone caves lie beneath us, and with an expert guide, hard hats and headlamps, we descend into the dark labyrinth. The concerns of the surface are left behind. This is the primordial core of Ireland: We are scrambling among the foundations. It is cold, damp and dirty. We graze our knees and bash our elbows. When the subterranean space opens up, our lamps illuminate the bewitching natural architecture of stalagmites and calcite cascades.

Having done it the hard way, our next foray underground is more sedate, but every bit as impressive. On the northern side of the border, we visit the Marble Arch Caves, one of the most popular cave complexes in Europe. No special equipment is required (except for a warm jacket), because the cave has been adapted to the needs of tour groups. We walk on concrete paths through floodlit caverns, and enjoy a spectacular boat ride along the underground river that, through millennia, carved these channels out of the rock.

Ireland still is being shaped by water and wind. We address that fact most acutely while clinging to the Doonshean cliffs on the Dingle Peninsula in County Kerry. We are 30 feet up, though it feels like 300. Either way, it’s probably best not to look down. The Atlantic is somewhere below, fringed by a wonderful sandy beach. All of that can be savored once we reach the top. For now, we are looking at this country from a distance of no more than a few inches, grasping for a firm handhold, coached and encouraged by the climbing instructor. Rock climbing can be a dramatic endeavor even on a sheltered inland hillside. But add crashing waves and a stiff sea breeze and it assumes an epic quality.

After painstaking minutes inching upward, battling personal fears as much as the elements, we clamber from the vertical cliff face onto a horizontal, spongy blanket of moss and tussock grass. Our muscles ache and beneath our fingernails there are grains of sandstone — the flesh of Ireland. We lie back, overwhelmed by the heady combination of relief and triumph.

It is time for a complete change of pace. We drive inland for four hours to Thomastown in County Kilkenny, and pass through the gates of the Mount Juliet Conrad Hotel, set within 1,500 acres of woodland and pasture. This fine resort provides a luxurious respite after the recent days of flying, spelunking and cliffhanging. Here we engage in a variety of more refined country pursuits, such as fishing. In the lazily meandering River Nore, we cast for Atlantic salmon and later for brown trout. In the shallows, beneath the dappled shade of the overhanging trees, the rod and line seem immaterial. The true joy of fishing here is the opportunity to stand in silence and to soak up the atmosphere of one of the most idyllic corners of rural Ireland.

The following days are spent horseback-riding around the estate, as well as learning archery and clay pigeon shooting. There is even time to fit in a round on the 18-hole Jack Nicklaus signature golf course, which has hosted numerous major events, including the World Golf Championship in 2004. Stride across these greens and you’re walking in the footsteps of Ernie Els and Tiger Woods.

And so back to Dublin. We have covered the length and breadth — and also the heights and depths — of Ireland. It is Friday night, and one of the best places to be is the Temple Bar area, with its narrow cobbled streets and abundance of great pubs. After our adventures in the hinterland, we can match the locals for blarney. With any luck, after a few pints of Guinness, they might even believe us.

INFO TO GO

Tourism Ireland (www.discoverireland.com/us/) provides an excellent overview of everything the country has to offer, including a section devoted to adventure activities. Tandem paragliding flights are available with Midland Paragliding in Tipperary (tel 353 62 52429, www.midlandparagliding.com) and cost approximately $135. Advance booking is necessary. Flights are dependent on the weather conditions. Advance booking is also recommended for the Marble Arch Caves in Northern Ireland (tel 44 28 6634 8855, www.marblearchcaves.net). The caves are open from March to September, though tours are suspended after heavy rain due to the flooding risk. A 75-minute guided tour costs $14. Corralea Activity Centre (tel 44 28 6638 6123, www.activityireland.com), on the shore of Lough McNean, is the ideal base from which to explore the cave country, and offers guided caving from $200 including two nights’ accommodation. There are also mountain-biking and kayaking options available at Corralea. An innovative cross-border ecotourism initiative, Greenbox (tel 353 71 985 6898, www.greenbox.ie) offers links to a wide range of activities and accommodation in northwest Ireland and County Fermanagh in Northern Ireland. Residential rock-climbing courses, including accommodation at Kerry Ocean Lodge and two days of instructed climbing at Doonshean cliffs and other locations in County Kerry, cost from $310 per person with Activity Ireland (tel 353 66 947 5277, www.activity-ireland.com). The Mount Juliet Conrad Hotel (tel 353 56 777 3000, www.mountjuliet.ie) offers salmon and trout fishing is available from March 30 to Sept. 30. Archery, clay pigeon shooting and horseback-riding are on offer year round.