"We have this tree stump that's about 20 feet high, " said spokeswoman Jill Cox. "It's a very interesting looking thing, and it's quite ugly. I feel that there should be something interesting done to it."

The venue is now running a competition to find the best way to transform the stump into something worth looking at. "I've seen tree trunks turned into sculptures, maybe into a snake . . . or anything that people want, " Cox told the Sunday Tribune. "Or you could plant it up, or put a hole in the middle and kids could look through it."

The most promising ideas will be put before a panel of judges and the best suggestion will be acted upon. To enter your tree stump idea, send your thoughts on a postcard to: Jill Cox, The Irish Garden Competition, Beaufield Mews, Woodlands Avenue, Stillorgan, Co Dublin.

The winner will receive a Euro150 gift token.