About Us

We are Clodagh and Sean and The Gaiety is our business. Our flagship store opened in Westport in 2011 and is housed in a renovated Dance Hall from the 30s. Antiques run in our blood. Clodagh is third generation in the antique business. In fact her father, Herbie and his brother's antique shop was perched right below the Queen’s castle in Windsor where they did lots of restoration work for the castle, especially after the big fire in 1992.

Though Clodagh trained as an interior designer, she will proudly tell you she learned everything she knows from Herbie, who, now in his 70s, is often found working away on a piece for The Gaiety.

We love anything that has a story, anything that wants to be re-loved, re-used and re-housed. Nothing pleases us more than seeing something being upcycled then delivered to its new home. Every 6 weeks we set off for England, seeking out all the wonderful antique goodies that we can quite literally, cram into our truck.

The pieces that find a home in The Gaiety come literally from all over the world and we travel far and wide to find beautiful and interesting pieces which we bring back and display in the treasure troves of The Gaiety. The vast majority of our items are handpicked by Clodagh and Sean on their buying trips. We are passionate about giving the absolute best service possible and giving our customers an experience of a golden age when they visit our stores.

The Gaiety Team

Clodagh O Connor – The Gaiety Queen herself! The Gaiety was Clodagh’s vision and she has been and continues to be instrumental in many facets of the business. She can be found several days each week on site in Westport and can be relied upon to bring her experience and knowledge to bear on all aspects of antiques, furniture, painting with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, interior design and generally advising, interacting and bartering with clients; usually with paint brush in hand as she upcycles another piece. If its not the paint brush in hand it will be the mobile phone Facebooking and Instagramming  relentlessly! Clodagh is renowned for her great eye and buying is pretty much Clodagh territory too with most items in store handpicked by her.

Not too keen on moving furniture but has been known to get hands on with even the heaviest piece that has the audacity to be in the “wrong” place, if theres no one else around. Her downtime is spent with son Connor, 16 at home with dogs  Ash and Blue, Arthur and Coco the cats, and not forgetting the hens and ducks. If that’s not enough any spare time is spent in her Psychotherapy practice.

Sean McCaughey – or Mr Gaiety as he is sometimes known is a Tyrone man who stopped in Mayo on his way to Australia 19 years ago and has been there ever since. Since day one when he started knocking down walls in Gaiety Westport he has been very much hands on. He enjoys the physical pursuits of lifting, moving, and delivering. Will occasionally indulge himself in buying something that takes his eye, these pieces tend to stick around a little longer than Clodagh’s though! More cereberal pursuits like website design and maintenance, copywriting and general administration are all Mr Gaiety duties. As chief financial officer he has the unenviable task of bookkeeping, VAT, PAYE, banking and explaining to Clodagh where all the money goes!

For Gaiety respite Sean finds time to indulge his passion for fitness and despite Clodagh’s best efforts he continues to play football with Westport GAA junior team and Mayo over 40’s. He is eternally greatful that the success of the Gaiety has allowed him to escape from many dreary days dispensing in his original profession as a pharmacist, furniture is much more fun!

Stephanie Large joined the ranks in 2020 and has fitted seemlessly into The Gaiety crew. Like Clodagh, Stephanie is trained as an interior designer and has brought some great new ideas to the design elements in store and is always happy to assist clients with their design related questions. Stephanie is a dab hand with the camera and on social media too so look out for her posts online.  Instagram or Facebook With a background in retail, we are delighted to have her well honed customer service skills on board, she is ever helpful and efficient a great addition to the team.

Herbie O Connor – One of the O’Connor/McCaughey family “volunteers”, Clodaghs father Herbie is very much the inspiration for The Gaiety. The second generation of O’Connors in the antique business he is delighted that Clodagh is continuing the tradition. At 79 and with over fifty years experience in the business his contribution is enormous and invaluable. Herbie gives very generously of his time and knowledge. A real craftsman, a dab hand with the tools he continues to work daily. Just when he thought he might start winding down he finds himself busier than ever restoring and polishing furniture for his own business and The Gaiety.

The Mammies – The two Margarets, Margaret O Connor and Margaret McCaughey have both provided untold support and continue to work tirelessly both in and out of the business to support Clodagh and Sean.

Clodagh’s Mum, Margaret O Connor, like her Dad Herbie has been instrumental in so many ways in the setting up of The Gaiety. Margaret wields a potent mix of skills, recently retired as CEO of a national organisation, she is a savvy lady. Wednesdays in Westport Gaiety is generally her day and she knows many of our clients for years having previously worked alongside Herbie in the family business. She knows her antiques too. She is a fantastic Grandma to Connor and rarely refuses an opportunity to hang out with the wee man. Last but by no means least she is a great cook and Sunday dinners at close of business Sunday evening are now a much anticipated O’Connor/McCaughey tradition. Great food, some quality family time and a chance to review the comings and goings of the week.

Seans Mum, Margaret McCaughey, may she rest in peace, sadly passed in 2021 . She loved The Gaiety and it was a huge part of her later years having "retired" from housekeeping duties for the local parish priest. Part of the buying team she scoured The North for hidden gems developing a reputation as a canny bidder at all the auction houses. On her regular visits down south  she could be regularly found manning the desk in Gaiety Westport. No slouch in the kitchen herself she would complement Margaret O Connor’s Sunday dinners with her delicious desserts. She was a generous and tireless worker her perpetual motion would continue in the house and if not in the garden it was the ironing room. Connor loved having his Nanny around, she is missed beyond words.