The author Caitriona Lally has won this year's Rooney Prize for Literature, from the Centre of Irish Writing at the school of English in Trinity College.
The prize which is worth €10,000 is awarded for work by a young Irish writer, showing exceptional promise.
Chairman of the judging panel Jonathan Williams said Lally's novel, Eggshells, is a "work of impressive imaginative reach, witty, subtle and occasionally endearingly unpredictable".
Eggshells was originally published in Ireland three years ago.
It was shortlisted for the Newcomer Award at the 2015 Irish Book Awards and the Kate O'Brien Award and will now be published in the UK by Harper Collins.
Ms Lally works as a cleaner in Trinity from 6-9:30am in the mornings. She said the job allows her to write in the afternoons and look after her young child.
She is currently working on her second novel and said this prize has come as a huge confidence boost, and has encouraged her to finish the second book.
The Rooney prize is named after former US Ambassador Dan Rooney.
