One antiques dealer who will be exhibiting at both is Chantal O'Sullivan of O'Sullivan Antiques, who has shops in Dublin's antiques heartland Francis Street and in New York.

While O'Sullivan is a regular at the RDS event, the Hibernian Antique & Fine Art Fair marks a new event in her diary.

"It's the first year it's happening and I think there are only 11 antiques exhibitors. It has been advertised as an exclusive, high-end show and I'm planning on exhibiting some of the best pieces I have, " she says.

The centrepiece of the exhibition will be a George III mahogany leathertopped library table that spans almost nine feet by six feet and dates circa 1800. "Provenance is Earl of Crawford in Wigan, Lancashire and it's a fantastic four sided table. It has drawers on top and is flanked by pedestal cabinets at either end. It really is a fantastic piece, " says O'Sullivan.

With two shops and over 15 years in the trade, O'Sullivan has seen her fair share of beautiful and unique antiques. So what has been the most impressive?

"The most memorable antique I sold was a grandfather clock. It was an organ clock made in about 1770 that played 40 waltzes and at the time the guests would dance around it after dinner, " she says.

"The case was made by Thomas Chippendale and the clock was made by George Hewitt of Marlborough. I found it at a fire insurance sale in New York and brought it back to London to be restored. It was made for a member of the royal family and took three years to restore. That was the most exciting thing I ever sold."

Although antique buyers come from all walks of life, O'Sullivan says that the majority of her customers are made up of seasoned antique collectors, and young couples just starting out.

While the experienced collector will know what to look for and where to look, what advice does she have for the antiques novice?

"The main rule to buying antiques is to buy what you like and not what you think is a great investment. If it's good quality and well made it probably will turn out to be a good investment because antiques are getting harder to find. You can't make antiques so what's out there is finite, " she says.

She advises that tables and chairs are always a good buy when starting out, as well as side tables and bookcases.

"It's important to make sure you like what you are buying because you will have it for a while. Good antiques cost money and it takes a while to get your value back, so it should be something you really like but it really is worth it."

Next stop for O'Sullivan is New York to check in on her business there, which also specialises in Irish and English antique furniture.

After that, it is back to Ireland for the exhibitions at the RDS and the K Club.

The Irish Antique Dealers Fair takes place at the RDS from September 2630 and the Hibernian Antique & Fine Art Fair runs a month later from October 27-29.

O'Sullivan Antiques can be found at 43/44 Francis Street, Dublin 8.

Call 01-454 1143 or visit www. osullivanantiques. com