Intriguing People of the Lowcountry
As seen in the January 2006 issue of Hilton Head Monthly Magazine


Jump In and Do It
Lisa and Paul Murphy's passions run from the high seas to Hilton Head Island.

By Debi Lynes and Lisa Carroll

An Irish Catholic and an English Protestant teamed up to form a dynamic duo in business, family and in community on Hilton Head. Paul, a charismatic young man with a passion for food and beverage and rugby, met the love of his life, Lisa, a gorgeous brunette, on, of all things, a Royal Caribbean cruise ship. "It really
was the love boat," giggled Lisa, "although I must say, it took Paul and me many voyages before we decided we were meant for each other, and we've been together for almost 10 years now."

Lisa is the owner of The Sanctuary Spa in Park Plaza and Paul recently opened Murphy's Irish Pub in Heritage Plaza. Their story is fun and adventurous and the common theme has to be one of "Let's just jump in and do it!"

"I'm his cheerleader," said Lisa. Added Paul, "I would follow her to the ends of the earth." After college and several spa jobs in Palm Beach, Lisa decided to make a commitment to Royal Caribbean. Her ambition paid off quickly, and she soon became the spa manager.

Meanwhile, Paul also signed up in the highly demanding food and beverage world of Royal Caribbean. "I grew up in a family pub in Wexford, Ireland and the ship provided a perfect opportunity to stay in a business I felt comfortable with, yet see the world," chuckled Paul. "I met Lisa and the fun began, plus she had her own cabin!" The romance soon began and wavered and was briefly interrupted by different ship assignments and then a period of working together, but not speaking to each other. Finally, the two started dating again and dreaming about the future and in their "let's just do it" style, they decided to make a commitment to one another and got married in less than four weeks on the Savannah River Queen.

Then the Murphys met a couple from Hilton Head and were on their way to the Lowcountry. "We feel so blessed in this community," said Lisa. "We have two beautiful children, we live in a nice neighborhood and giving back to others is very important to us. We love Hilton Head." Lisa opened her spa in March of '97 and now has ten employees. Her business instincts and training have paid off and she loves to help her community. This is evidenced by her passionate commitment to the American Cancer Society.

Paul has recently fulfilled a dream he's had since he moved to the Lowcountry, that of owning his own authentic Irish pub. Murphy's Irish Pub is now three months old and "We're already growing out of our space," said Paul. "I'm convinced it's because of our truly Irish food and the lively spirit of our staff."

Both Paul and Lisa not only make friends easily, but keep them. The people they choose to bring on board also share a sense of community spirit, professionalism and friendliness. This is a testimonial to anyone and especially to this engaging couple whose motto seems to be "So much has happened, all good, I think it's all about positive energy. We just go for it and it seems to work!"