Easter Monday Google Doodle: A green, sports-loving isle

The artistic portrayal of a tractor, a cow, a shamrock, a harp, a hurley and some fuschia has been chosen to represent Ireland to the online world on Easter Monday as part of the Doodle 4 Google competition.

Mia Buckley’s environmentally conscious interpretation of the Google homepage font was announced on Monday as the winner of the annual artistic contest.

Jean Kavanagh of Google said the competition helps encourage budding artists to develop their artistic abilities and talents.

“We run the competition every year and we’re passionate about the young people of Ireland getting excited in Google,” said Ms Kavanagh.

This year’s Google 4 Doodle competition was run in conjunction with the 1916 celebrations using the theme ‘Ireland is...’, she said.

“We asked them what Ireland meant to them. We really want them to look forward to the Ireland that is coming.”

Farm life

The 12-year-old Summercove National School pupil’s winning doodle, entitled “Ireland is a land so green”, uses images of farm life, flowers and sport to illustrate how she perceives the future of her home country.

In her description, of the doodle, Mia wrote: “Ireland is a land so green with grazing cattle to be seen. Steeped in rich history with music and sports so fine. I love this Irish home of mine.”

Head of Google Ireland Ronan Harris said Mia’s vibrant colours and clear design had caught the eye of the judges and captured Ireland’s rural heritage, as well as the nation’s love of music and sports.

The young artist was presented with a €5,000 scholarship towards her third-level studies and a chromebook, while Summercove National School, in Kinsale, Co Cork, received a €10,000 technology grant.

4,000 entries

The competition, which has run for the past eight years, received more than 4,000 entries from 900 schools across the State.

This year's panel of judges - made up of artist Maser, creative director of Cartoon Saloon Tomm Moore and director of the Ark, Aideen Howard, whittled down the 4,000 entries to 75 drawings which were posted online on the Doodle 4 Google site.

The public was then invited to view the drawings, with 271,000 votes cast to select a winner for each of the five categories broken down by age. The overall winner was chosen by the Google Doodle team.

The 75 Google Doodle designs are still available for viewing on the Google site.

There were four group winners in the Doodle 4 Google competition - Niamh Connerton (6) from Fermoyle National School in Co Longford, Cillian Slattery (8) from Ratoath National School in Co Meath, Nicole Tighe from Gallen Community School in Co Offaly and Nicholas Henihan (17) from St Mary’s College in Dublin 6.

Mia Buckley’s Doodle will appear on the Google homepage in Ireland for 24 hours on Easter Monday, March 28th, to mark the centenary of the Easter Rising.