The Lake House at Oughterard (aka BallyOwen) could not have been a more perfect final stop on our family's vacation to Ireland (all ten of us). The house was impressive, immaculate and chock full of amenities, comforts and character. The property is simply gorgeous and the views from the house and yard are captivating. Malcom's parents were there to greet us with a wonderful spread of meats, cheeses, breads, fruits and beverages (wow). They also took the time to give us a grand tour of the home and property to ensure that we were fully informed and comfortable with the use of the numerous bells and whistles of the home. They offered plenty of suggestions on how to enjoy the areas attractions, and the grocery store just down the country road was all we needed to stock provisions and enjoy two nights of grilling on the BBQ. Our kids were thrilled to discover that we had three donkeys as neighbors, and feeding them a few carrots right over the fence out back was a real highlight for them (which I hope that was okay!). We awoke each morning to the call of the local wildlife and a few nearby roosters, which was only to be out done by our view of Lough Corrib while enjoying coffee in the morning and drinks in the evening. It was a short 35 minute drive to Galway Centre during a weekday morning, and that made it pretty easy for us to catch our Cliffs of Moher Tour bus that day. I would have really enjoyed another day or two at BallyOwen if we could have planned for it. These final few days in Ireland will stay in our memories for a long time, and we would go back and stay at the Lake House in a heartbeat if the opportunity were to present itself again some day!