"The market is now very high, so it is more important than ever to look for things that are in original condition and have the sort of quality that will protect them if the market were to readjust. An area of increasing interest comes from research being done on the numerous cabinet-makers in Dublin and Cork in the early 19th century. The production of furniture in Ireland in that period has turned out to have been much more extensive than previously thought. Much of this furniture is stamped by the makers and the quality of the woods and cabinet-making is superb. This area is still good value.

The demand for small, quality neat pieces from the later periods has seen strong increases in prices. This has prompted the import of quantities of this `stuff' from England. If the piece has sufficient quality - and much Edwardian cabinet-making was of a very high quality - it is fair enough to pay to secure it, if you like it. However, the period saw the start of the era of mass production/ reproduction and it would be wrong to pay more than you would have to pay for it in England.

The artists to watch for in 1998 are Charles McCauley and his circle of landscape painters, who carried on in the tradition of Henry, McKelvey and Craig. As the big names are becoming increasingly expensive, people appreciate being able to buy pictures by these good, pleasant artists at a fraction of the price of the `big boys'.

The demand for Georgian Irish silver, apart from tea-sets, is such that is has been practically driven off the market and again people are happy to buy good quality copies made by such people as West, Waterhouse and Egan, and, indeed, the excellent production of the Royal Irish Studio in more recent times.

It is possible that in 1998 vendors may take advantage of the halving in the rate of the Capital Gains Tax to sell. This, of course, would stimulate the market and provide opportunity for the new generation of collectors."