I had the great pleasure of spending a weekend at Django’s. The hostel itself was clean, good-value and comfortable. Pa was a courteous, humorous and attentive host. He was forthcoming with information and anecdotes about the eco-village and its various sustainability/environmental projects. Official tours of the village had not yet resumed post-covid, but we were lucky enough to be staying at the same time as a guest who knew the site well. Between her and Pa’s guidance I felt we were able to get a good sense of the project. It’s an interesting village to stroll through, guided or not, filled with allotments, orchards, and unique architecture.

Django’s straddles the eco-village and original village of Cloughjordan (they are right next to each other), making it easy to pick up supplies. Though many businesses were closed because of Covid-19, there were still grocery stores, day-time cafes, and a takeaway restaurant, which was more than enough to meet our needs.

I visited with an aunt whose mobility is limited and another who was traveling with a small dog. With notice, both were given suitable rooms. I was very happy with my room on the second floor, which was comfortable with a nice view. The room rates were very good value.

Covid-19 guidelines such as social distancing and increased cleaning were being observed for the entirety of our stay. Pa seems committed to maintaining safe practices and is adapting his business as needed.

Overall I was very happy with my two nights at Django’s and would recommend a visit! I look forward to checking out the sensory garden, woodland, and nearby bogland the next time I’m over, which I missed this time.

Really enjoyed the stay at Django's...very family friendly, casual and comfy. Felt just fine doing our self catering in the ample kitchen. Felt safe and secure, even with the wind blowing a gale outside (well, it is January! haha) Pa Finucane is a fine host. The people at Cloughjordan are so welcoming...the work they are doing (living in intentional community) is important.

Django's Hostel (named for the lovely hostel dog, Django, himself called after the jazzer Django Reinhardt) is set in Cloughjordan Eco-Village, an intentional community of people who have built their homes on the land of an old Anglo-Irish estate to live in a green and earth-friendly way.
The hostel is super-clean, with a catering-style steel kitchen supplied with sturdy white crockery, plenty of good pots and pans and a couple of electric cookers. The rooms vary in size - we shared a family room, with a double bed and bunks and a nice ensuite shower and facilities; that was €80 each for three days. You can also sleep in a dormitory, or in single rooms.
In the kitchen, a fridge has common supplies on the top shelf (left by the very nice Django proprietor Pa or contributed by departing guests), and lower shelves where guests can store their own food while they're staying. There are plenty of wooden tables and chairs where you can eat looking out at the beautiful fruit trees and flowers of the village. Ingredients like olive oil, soya sauce, etc, which you normally remember, cursing, are available.
There's a pleasant living room to relax in, with squashy chairs and couch, and pictures - nice abstracts and a couple of pictures of Django Reinhardt, natch.
Cloughjordan town has a couple of excellent cafés - The Middle Country, spacious and crafty with lots of cakes and salads, and Sheelagh na Gig, a bookshop-cum-cafe which also sells fresh local farm eggs.
Cloughjordan Eco-Village has brought a cosmopolitan feel to the sleepy little town, and many languages and accents can be heard and a multicultural feel is central. Ninety-seven per cent of the children ride their bicycles to school, and eco-villagers have a right to an allotment of their own, and can buy great organic produce from the village's farm.
The eco-villagers recently built an amphitheatre for plays and music; their homes are surrounded by 200 apple trees from 75 native Irish varieties.
The local bakery, multi-award-winning Riot Rye, is run by a family who have been making and selling organic food for two generations; their sourdough breads in several delicious varieties are for sale in the Centra shop at one end of town. Riot Rye's proprietors also run an extremely popular bakery school.
There are many wonderful walking trails and nice cycles near the town, including Knocknacree Wood, dedicated to poet, teacher and revolutionary Thomas MacDonagh, born and raised in the town (his statue looks benignly down the main street).
The town is a centre for amateur drama - to the extent that two to three nights every week in winter, the drama society is filled with rehearsing people from town and eco-village. There is even a weekly course in circus skills for local children - it's to be expected that the next generation of Irish actors and musicians will come from here.
I thoroughly enjoyed my stay in Django's Hostel. We were warmly welcomed by Pa (and Django, who normally lives quietly upstairs but came down to greet us on his way to walks). I would certainly stay here again.