Google has been providing young artists with the opportunity to see their creations featured online for several years with their “Doodle 4 Google” contest, which allows children from all over the country to submit original, hand-drawn designs based upon a theme chosen by Google.

While the U.S. version of the contest is open to entries until March 23rd, Google Ireland has just announced the winner of this year’s competition as 18-year old Patrick Horan, a student from St. Munchin’s College in Limerick. Patrick’s design, titled “Turning Back Time”, was voted best out of 300 entries submitted by students around the country under the theme of “I wish…” and will be featured as the official Google Doodle for a full 24 hours beginning today at www.google.ie.

“Many of us look towards the stars to make a wish,” Patrick said in his Doodle’s description. “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.”

Horan was a finalist in last year’s contest with his Doodle, “Letting My Imagination Flow”, which was based on the poetry of Patrick Kavanagh. He was beaten out by 6-year old Layla Karputz, however, who won with her design “Love Google”.

As part of the prize package, Patrick received not only an award at Google’s headquarters in Dublin, he also got a new laptop for himself and his teacher and €10,000. Interestingly, this is the second winning Google Doodle to emerge from St. Munchin’s, as the 2009 winner–Evan O’Sullivan Glynn–was also a student there.

This year’s theme for the U.S. contest is “If I could travel in time, I’d visit…” The winning Doodle will appear on the Google homepage on May 18th and the lucky artist will receive a $30,000 scholarship, a $50,000 technology grant for their school, and will be featured on a special edition Crayola box.