Michael O'Connor was a leading figure in the early Gothic Revival of stained glass in Britain and Ireland. Born in Dublin, he established his workshop around 1823, later expanding operations to London as ecclesiological interest in medieval church design intensified.

O’Connor’s work is distinguished by strong architectural structuring, saturated colour harmonies, and figures derived from late medieval models interpreted through Victorian historicism. His windows were widely commissioned for Anglican and Roman Catholic churches during the mid-nineteenth century, contributing significantly to the revival of stained glass as a serious ecclesiastical art.

In the later years of his life O’Connor’s eyesight failed, and management of the workshop passed to his son. After O’Connor’s death in 1867, the firm continued under successive direction, maintaining the established stylistic tradition. During this later phase, designers including William George Taylor ⓘ were associated with the workshop, and production continued until approximately 1915.

Because of this continuity, some later nineteenth-century windows are broadly attributed to “O’Connor,” reflecting the sustained identity of the firm rather than the personal involvement of the founder. O’Connor remains one of the formative figures of Victorian stained glass, and the workshop he established continued to shape ecclesiastical glazing well into the late nineteenth century.