One school in Ireland keeps creating winning Doodles 4 Google

One talented school in rural Ireland has a knack for creating winning Doodles 4 Google.

Patrick Horan a 6th Year (twelfth grade) student in St. Munchin’s College in Limerick created this winning design of the Google logo as part of the Irish Doodle 4 Google competition 2012.

This is the second Google gong for the school – only three years ago St Munchin’s student Evan O’Sullivan Glynn won Ireland’s first Doodle 4 Google completion with his Shamrock covered Google logo. The win is more impressive feat when you consider that Irish Primary and Secondary School students submitted over 2,300 Doodles for the 2012 competition.

From these 2,300 entries a panel of judges picked 75 to go up for the public vote in five categories. Google reports that over 125,000 votes were submitted this year.

It was professional Google Doodler Sophia Foster-Dimino’s (@hellophia) job to pick the eventual overall from the five most popular doodles as voted for by the public.

Fittingly Patrick’s winning doodle will adorn Google’s Irish homepage on Friday March 16, the day before Ireland and the world celebrates St. Patrick’s Day.  And it won’t just be Patrick celebrating this week, St Munchin’s will be grateful for the €10,000 ($13,149 | £8,410) technology grant Google will be providing the school.  Google will also give Patrick and his teacher brand new laptops.

Google says Patrick impressed the judges and the public with his take on this year’s theme, “I wish.”  Rather than wishing for a the yet-to-be Patrick’s doodle represents his wish to see what once was;

“Many of us look towards the stars to make a wish. I wish I could turn back time to see our world in past times. My Doodle shows the mechanisms inside a clock slowly turning back the hands of time making my wish come true. “

At an award ceremony today in Google’s European, Middle Eastern, and African headquarters in Dublin Sophia presented Patrick and the four runner-ups with their prizes and commended the talented entries from Irish students.

John Herlihy, Head of Google Ireland said,

“The Doodle 4 Google competition shows the power of imagination and how talented Irish children are. Everyone involved should be extremely proud of their achievements. Google is committed to encouraging creativity and innovation amongst the next generation and the standards shown by this year’s entrants confirm that Ireland’s future is in safe hands.”

The runners up this year were;

• Group 1 Darragh Brady, Edmondstown National School, Dublin 16
• Group 2 Abby Ware, Johnswell National School, Co. Kilkenny
• Group 3 Ryan Taylor, Scoil Eoin Baiste, Co. Donegal
• Group 4 Carolyn O Sullivan, Coláiste Phobail Bheanntraí, Co. Cork