Irish excursion isn’t all business

Christine Carrillo

The majestic hillsides, picturesque shorelines and flocks of

roaming sheep mesmerized Eniko and Peter Cowles and turned his

business trip into a charming vacation for two.

The Cowles, 15-year Newport Beach residents, figured that Peter’s

work-related trip to Ireland would be the perfect opportunity to

visit the country of his ancestors.

“It had a deep sense of historical roots for me,” Peter said. “My

great grandparents came over from Ireland, and I learned a little bit

more about my family’s past than before.”

In late October, the Cowles spent about eight days venturing from

one museum to another, visiting historical sites and different

factories and getting a real feel for Irish culture.

“A lot of people spend a lot of time in pubs there,” Eniko said.

“They’re very lively, very nice, and we got to see some Irish

dancing.”

And with a glass of ale in hand, they found more Irish charm in

the Dublin pubs than they ever could’ve imagined.

“Going to a pub and seeing a live small group performance and

listening to the music in that environment, it just gives you a

feeling like you’ve gone back in time, but you really haven’t,” Peter

said.

While visiting the pubs and museums gave them a great sense of

Irish culture, they also managed to take part in a 25-year Irish

tradition. Just happening to be in the right place at the right time,

the Cowles continued on to Cork, where they attended the 25th annual

Guinness Cork Jazz Festival.

Attending one venue after another, the Cowles, along with hundreds

of other people from the surrounding cities and countries, got to

hear great jazz in a beautiful setting.

“I was very surprised about the scenery. It was really very, very

beautiful -- it was absolutely magnificent,” Eniko said. “[The

country] was very interesting, and the people were very friendly.”

With the beauty of the country and its people, the Cowles agree

that their trip to Ireland was much more vacation than chore.

“It is absolutely the most beautiful country I’ve ever seen and

clean as a whistle, with quant architecture and villages,” Peter

said. “It is absolutely green, lush with almost pristine colors. ...

I’d recommend anyone go.”