Google presentation to local students

FIVE talented Northsiders were presented with framed copies of their entries to this year’s Doodle 4 Google competition at the internet giant’s Dublin offices last month.

Paul O’Neill from Castleknock Community College, Emma Brady from St Michael’s Holy Faith, Finglas, Roisin Finnegan from Belgrove Senior Girls’ National School, Clontarf and students Robyn Coleman and Fiona Carroll from Santa Sabina Dominican College, Sutton, had all been invited to attend Google’s famous Dublin 4 based European headquarters for the final of the annual art contest.

Regional winners attending the event were given the opportunity to take part in creative art and doodle classes with Kevin Laughlin and each student was presented with a framed copy of their doodle and a Google goody bag.

The Doodle 4 Google competition launched in October 2012 and was open to all primary and secondary schools in the country. Students were asked to create a Google doodle based on the theme

‘My Invention’ with the winning entry used for a day on the website’s home page.

The best entries were judged by an expert panel that included rugby player Rob Kearney, Professor of Education at the National College of Art and Design, Gary Granville, and former Assistant Curator at the Irish Museum of Modern Art, Marianne Kelly.

Entries were accepted in three primary school categories and two secondary school categories.

Along with having their doodle displayed on the Irish Google homepage, the winner, Donegal student Annie Coyle, also received a Chromebook for themselves and one for their teacher.

The winning school, St Bernadette’s Special School in Letterkenny, received a

?¬10,000 technology grant and Annie received a scholarship of

?¬5,000 to go towards her college studies.

Google doodler, Kevin Laughlin, travelled from Google in California to announce the winners and the framed copies were presented to the Northside students by Head of Google in Ireland, John Herlihy.