PUBLIC VOTING HAS opened for this year’s Doodle 4 Google competition, which has received the most entries since the competition began seven years ago.

More than 5,000 entries were received and has been whittled down to 75 finalists. The theme of this year’s competition was “My Perfect Day” with students explaining the reason behind their drawings.

The five most popular drawings from each age category will be placed in a grand final which will take place in Google Ireland’s headquarters on 20th April.

The winner will have their doodle featured on Google’s Irish homepage for a day next month, and will receive a €5,000 scholarship towards their third-level studies, a Chromebook laptop and a €10,000 technology grant for their school.

Google Ireland’s VP of Sales and Operations, Ronan Harris, said the quality of entries for this year’s competition was “astounding and it gave our judging panel a tough job to do. I really enjoyed seeing what ‘My Perfect Day’ meant to the entrants and everyone should be very proud of their doodles.”

Last year’s winner was eight-year-old Kelly McCabe from Scoil Carmel Junior National School. More than 120,000 public votes were recorded and 2,390 students entered the competition that year.

The full list of finalists and their entries can be found and voted for here. Voting closes at midnight on 20th March.