Myself and a friend stayed here in August. We were given a very nice welcome by the charasmatic owner who showed us around the spotlessly clean and well-maintained hostel. The communal area is made of what appears to be a cross between a nautical museum and a livingroom and has a big open fire. There is a very large kitchen which is well-stocked and a dining area which is spacious and even has a pingpong table! The rooms and bathrooms were spotless. The location is superb - it is right by the beach in a lovely natural harbour with turquoise seas (this depends on the weather!) The owners are definitely proud of the place as can be seen by the attention to detail on everything. The only downside that I could see is the amount of RULES. Mostly they are common sense but I found the reminders to be intrusive - it reminded me of being is school. This is most likely the price to be paid for having such a well run and enjoyable spot. I would whole-heartedly recommend and hope to go back soon.

My mate and I stayed at the cape clear hostel and we were delighted with every aspect of our stay. The hostel was perfectly clean and the toilet facilities were excellent. There was tea, coffee, milk and butter for all to use. The living room was like a little museum and there was a lovely fire lit at night and phil coulter playing on an ipod. The location is perfection as you are looking out over the bay. The owners were more than happy to call a taxi for us when we were leaving and they provided an abundance of information for us about the island. I will definitely be back on Clear Island and will gladly stay at the hostel. The hostel is a perfect place to stay for those who want to spend some time on this beautiful island of cape clear.

I came to Cape Clear for the first time with two colleagues and over forty schoolchildren! Perhaps a recipe for disaster! But with Richie's unceasing help, assistance and good will the trip ran splendidly. Cape Clear Hostel is perfectly run and supplies all that you could wish for. It is an ideal base-camp from which to explore one of Ireland's best kept secrets.

I have already planned my return trip, without the forty kids!

Just back from our first trip to Cape Clear (Oileán Chléire). The weather was beautiful, which probably helped!
We booked a family room in the Cape Clear Hostel, and were more than happy with it. We're not your typical hostel visitors & were a bit anxious about booking, but the hostel was ideal for us.
The first thing we noticed was how clean the hostel was & also how welcoming the owners were. Our room had a beautiful view of the sea & it was magical to lie in bed and listen to the water flowing in over the pebble beach, just outside our window.
The hostel has good facilities, a large kitchen with plenty of pots & pans (no oven). It also has a nice living room & a ping-pong table!
The bathrooms were good & most importantly for us, were absolutely spotless.
There are fishing rods available to borrow, maybe you could catch something tasty for your tea! We weren't that adventurous & ate in the "Siopa Beag" restaurant by the harbour. Nice food, quite reasonably priced.
If you're planning a trip to the island, make sure to bring good walking shoes. There are so many hills, but the views you get from the top of the hills make the climb worthwhile. There's also a fantastic taxi service on the island if (like us) you're feeling a bit lazy!
All in all, well worth a visit & the hostel was a great experience for us.