John Hayes of Special Branch Carvers (Co Waterford) is halfway through a month long project to carve a 10 metre high tree stump, to be named 'Crann na nÓg', at Ballymakeera Co Cork. A member of the Cedar family of trees it was thought to have been planted around the time the National School SCOIL ABÁN NAOFA opened approx 120 years ago.. It is a joint project between Ballymakeera Tidy Towns and SCOIL ABÁN NAOFA National School. Crann na nOg will be a 'tree of stories' featuring 9 white deer, St Gobnait, books, bats, owls, bees and other wildlife and children and based on the drawings of over 120 pupils of the national school. The tree was cut over two years ago when it stopped growing and was diseased. It was removed due to the danger it posed as it was located beside a school, public footpath and the busy N22 road to Killarney-Cork. Located at the entrance to Naomh Aban Terrace the sculpted tree stump will be a beautiful addition to the Gaeltacht village. Pic; Larry Cummins