Irish Pickers

Ian and Butzy are searching for treasure in Cork, Ireland's largest county. They go picking at an 11th Century castle built by the grandson of Brian Boru, high king of Ireland. Undeterred by its turbulent past and tales of ghosts, Ian discovers a mysterious stone head, a carving of a famous figure from Irish mythology, and a gadget he just loves, even though it dates not from the 1060s but the 1960s.

It's off to the dramatic scenery of County Kerry for dealer Ian and Butzy to see what Irish memorabilia he can invest in to turn over a profit. His first pick is to Curran's pub in Dingle which has been in James Curran's family for four generations. It's a struggle for Ian to get James to part with items at reasonable prices, but after some fierce haggling deals are struck.

It's a long, long way to Tipperary for Ian and Butzy in their search for the very best of Irish pieces, but the trip is worth it when Ian negotiates many successful deals at Killeneure Castle. It's not plain sailing as owner Eavunn Carmody has been an antique dealer herself and knows the price of her Irish collectibles.

Doing business with other dealers is at the heart of the antique and collectible business, and today Ian is travelling all around the country to find the very best items to buy and sell on for a profit. He's also on the search for a very special antique for a friend and contact in the US, celebrity tattooist Mark Mahoney, whose clients include Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie.

The Irish Pickers are in the very west of Ireland in County Mayo, visiting an antiques and rare bookstore run by Roger Grimes in the small town of Mulranny. Ian spends more than a penny on an antique toilet bowl, and he's tempted by an ancient treasure chest possibly left behind from the time of the Spanish Armada.

The boys' first buying trip today is on his home turf of Dublin, where they visit some old contacts in the antiques corner of the capital and cut some great deals. Ian sells an antique clock to one of Ireland's oldest pubs, the Brazen Head, where he turns over a profit of €325 in less than a couple of hours. Ian and Butzy then journey to Waterford to a salvage yard situated on the striking coastline of the Celtic Sea.