TRAVEL

Home & Away with Robert Walshe

Home and Away Extra

A New York hotel has become the first to employ a robot to take care of its guests’ luggage. The Yotel on 42nd Street and Tenth Avenue has installed a 20ft-tall robotic arm, called the Yobot, to transfer suitcases to lockers. According to reports the boss of the 669-room hotel Gerard Greene calls it the ‘iPod of the hotel industry’. The pod-style rooms are 170 square feet and have been designed by air-craft designers to make them feel larger. Meanwhile 4kids is delighted to announce the Top 10 Family Friendly Hotels for 2011 as voted for by their read-ers, The winners are as follows, Talbot Carlow, Dingle Skellig Hotel, Co Kerry, Quality Hotel & Leisure,Clonakilty, Co Cork, Amber Springs, Co Wexford, Gle-neagle Hotel,Killarney, Quality Hotel, Youghal, Co Cork, Ballykis-teen Hotel & Golf Resort, Tipper-ary, Clarion Hotel, Dublin Liffey Valley, Falls Hotel, Ennistymon, Co Clare, Kenmare Bay Hotel & Resort, Co Kerry. www.4kids.ie

LivingTiCKETS to GAA matches are to be sold at tourist offices on the island to boost flagging attendances and give tourists an authentic irish experi-ence. Tickets will be sold in at least 20 of Fáilte ireland’s tourism offices. The initiative has been developed in conjunction with the GAA. While tick-ets will be available for the marquee matches in Croke Park and champion-ship games around the country, local tourism offices will also be pushing club matches in individual counties. Tickets for Croke Park matches will be available through Dublin Tour-ism’s Suffolk Street office. it is hap-pening against the backdrop of falling GAA attendances, with the GAA an-nouncing earlier this week that there will be a €5 reduction in prices for the All-ireland semi-finals compensated for by a €10 increase in prices for the All-ireland finals, the only matches guaranteed to be sell-outs. The profile of Gaelic games internationally has improved dramatically since rugby and soccer were allowed in Croke Park in 2007 and the Queen’s recent visit to the venue

Destination HotspotThe Story of Harvey’s Point begins

in the early eighties when Jody Gys-ling, holidaying in ireland, visited Donegal town and travelled a cou-ple of miles to a pretty lake called Lough Eske. He immediately fell in love with the stunning scenery and the welcome of the locals and re-turning time and again until eventu-ally he found a little house inhabited by two elderly brothers who were happy to sell and help his dream to build one of ireland’s most impres-sive luxury hotels. Those brothers were the Harvey’s and there the hotel had its roots. Harvey’s Point is now one of the most beloved spots in the country, hosting guests from all over the world and delivering a fantastic offering of Irish, local food. The 74-room hotel caters to travelers seeking luxury combined with the famous “Cead Mile Failte “. Family-owned and operated, Har-vey’s Point features 74 rooms, from the cozy executive bedroom to the ultimate penthouse suite, complete with a private bar, jetted bath, king-size bed, lounge, living room, and dressing room. The elegant house restaurant offers chef-prepared

gourmet cuisine as well as special events such as Sunday lunch and af-ternoon tea. Guests with pets will be happy to know that Harvey’s Point welcomes four-legged visitors and guests. The popular Harvey’s Point Dinner Cabaret is in the middle of its 11th season and this year’s line up is equally impressive. interna-tionally-renowned Gene Fitzpatrick returns for a fifth season, this time as MC a role which will enable him to combine his comedy skills with his unique ability to communicate with the audience. He also plans to do some walking in the Bluestack Mountains which overlook the hotel as he prepares for an autumn season on board American luxury cruise liners. The 2011 Harvey’s Point Summer Cabaret has a truly international flavour which will in-troduce audiences to the passion and precision of the Tango, the na-tional dance of Argentina. Tangos Fi-esta was created by Kristina Chaloir and Julian Brigatti in 2008.They were united by their love for Tango and by a passion for expressing and performing this beautiful dance to the highest level. irish-born Kristina won a scholarship to the Royal irish Academy of Music at the age of six and has since become a multi award-winning actor, mime and musician. Also on stage are Elvis impersonator Liam Murphy, Eurovision star Simon Casey, Donegal star fiddler Matt Mc Granaghan, Eugene Ginty Tenor, Tango Fiesta stars Kristine & Julian & special guest Majella O Donnell. Best known as wife of singing star Daniel O’Donnell, Majella is also an accomplished performer in her own right. She began singing in musicals and in recent years has appeared on the ‘Late Late Show’, on stage with Daniel and has released a hit album called ‘Majella- At Last’ The season runs until the end of October.. With the Cabaret as the highlight, you can design your own holiday to include three or four nights of luxury, relax-ation, and good food, fine wine and superb entertainment. Stay three nights in a palatial Executive Suite for only €299 per person sharing including the Dinner Cabaret Show and one Gourmet Dinner in the award winning restaurant overlook-ing Lough Eske. Overnight packages start from €139 per person shar-

ing to include Dinner Cabaret Show and Bed & Breakfast in a cosy courtyard room. www.harveyspoint.com

Weekly Best BuyThe Culloden Estate

and Spa, Belfast has been awarded for hav-ing the Best Therapist in Northern Ireland at the recent Irish Tatler Spa Awards. The five star spa was the only one in Northern Ireland to receive recognition at the event in the Westin Hotel, Dublin when therapist Ja-nine McMaster was highly commended for the Best Therapist award. In recognition of Janine’s wonderful achievement, the spa is offering a discount in the star therapist’s favourite treat-ments to anyone who says the words “Janine’s Done Good!” when book-ing. Those who say the magic words can receive a blissful one hour and 50 minute ESPA Back, Face and Scalp Treatment with Hot Stones for £140 instead of £160.Alternatively, you can receive the ESPA Total Luxury Facial for the special price of £99 instead of the usual £110. www.hastingshotels.com Check out Joe Walsh Tour’s last minute offers to the vibrant city of Lisbon and its stunning coast. Their Lisbon City Break specials include the 3* Hotel Evidencia Tejo on a B&B basis in Lisbon City from €549 for 4 nights or on the Lisbon Coast staying at 4* Hotel Estoril Eden on a B&B basis in Estoril from €574 on the 28th July & 18th August for 1 Week or the 4* Sana Sesimbra Park Hotel on a B&B basis in Sesimbra €574 28th July for 1 Week Offers include: return flights, transfers (except Lis-bon City Break) and accommoda-tion as stated. www.joewalshtours.ie With the trend towards bigger and bigger cruising vessels, a small number of cruises stand out not for their size, but for their discrete el-egance. A number of special offers from Thomas Cook Cruise bring this range of exclusive cruises within

the grasp of the everyday holiday-maker. A Venice to Rome Voyage, for example, on 13 August, caters for just 540 guests, all in the lap of luxury aboard the new Silver Spirit, with its six dining venues , 8,000plus sq ft spa, swimming pool and whirl-pools and especially large suites, 95% of which have private verandas. With direct flights from Dublin, the trip takes in Venice, Croatia, Sic-ily, Sorrento and Rome (Civitavec-chia). Prices with Thomas Cook Cruise ireland start from €2899 per person staying in a Veranda Suite. A more exotic excursion on board the Silver Spirit an island-hopping adventure from Barbados to Fort Lauderdale stops here at St Vincent &Grenadines, Dominica, St Kitts and the Turks and Caicos Islands. including flights from Dublin to Bar-bados via London on 14 November, Thomas Cook Cruise packages start from €2,999 per person, again stay-ing in a spacious Veranda Suite. www.thomascookcruise.ie

Robert Walshe is a freelance contributor / broadcaster and guest travel writer for River Media newspaper titles across the island of Ireland

Pet’s Corner... with Kathleen Murray: Animal Behavioural Therapist

with Kathleen Murray

n Harveys Point Donegal

n Harveys Point Donegal

n Majella O Donnell

n Simon Casey

Do cats and dogs really get along together?CATS and dogs can get along really well together if they are brought up prop-erly together. if you have had a cat for a while and then get a young pup there will be some settling in to do. The cat will not like the intrusion and may go away for a while or may be a bit rough with the pup, but if you keep the cat in-doors in a cage and let the pup get over its curiosity, by allowing it to sniff the cat without getting injured, then the novelty will wear off very soon and they will be able to co-exist quite peacefully.

The pup must always be corrected for getting too “enthusiastic” if it tries to get the cat to run so he can chase it, or is too excitable during any play with the cat. The cat will soon get used to it and then not pay too much attention to the pup after a few days.

Make sure that the pup has enough

exercise so that the cat is not the target for his energy release or frustration. if you have just gotten a new adult dog and it is showing a tendency towards being aggressive with the family cat then the cat needs to be put into a cage for its own safety and the dog should be put on a lead.

The dog needs to learn to ignore the cat. This is very important but will take a little time to achieve. You can prac-tice each day a few times by bring the dog into the room when the cat is in the cage. If the dog ignores the cat then reward it but if it shows “interest” then chastise the dog for that until it stops.

There are many ways to chastise a dog… none of them should contain shouting or hitting as part of it. This only slows down the process and may even excite the dog into being even

more aggressive toward the cat. if you have a dog already and then get a new kitten, the kitten has all the rights. It has the right to wander about without being licked, nosed, pawed or what-ever else that the dog has in store for it. The dog is the one that needs to be controlled.

When the kitten has more confidence and starts to approach the dog itself then things will need to be supervised in case the dog is unsure about how to react. it is very important that the ani-mals are never let alone together until you are certain that they get along. No matter how well your dog and cat get along in their lifetime a strange cat passing by outside will still always be an intruder and something to be chased by your dog… and most likely your cat too.