When despair grows in me
and I wake in the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life and my children's lives may be,
I go and lie down where the wood drake
rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.
I come into the peace of wild things
who do not tax their lives with forethought
of grief. I come into the presence of still water.
And I feel above me the day-blind stars
waiting for their light. For a time
I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.
— Wendell Berry, The Peace of Wild Things
If you're looking for a short day trip that doesn't require extensive planning while you're in Dublin, I would highly recommend Malahide and Howth. Both are a short train ride away and offer a different take on Irish culture than the metropolitan area of Dublin—plus, Howth is right on the sea, and you can't beat the cliffside views!
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