Columba College pupil Shalini Ramarao has finished third equal in the 2010 Rodney Walshe Ireland Essay Competition.
Her essay, A Take on Life Through Cecelia Ahern, was among one of the largest number of entries in the competition since it began in 1990.
Because there was a notable widening in the range of subjects selected, the judges had to draw deeply on their literary skills and their knowledge of Irish history, literature, art, culture and heritage in order to choose the top four placings.
Shalini tied for third place with Thomas McLean, of John Paul College, in Rotorua, with his essay titled The Celtic Twilight.
The winner of the first prize - a trip to Ireland for a one-month stay - was Enakshi Chakravorty, of Samuel Marsden Collegiate School, in Wellington.
Her essay was titled Blarney Talk.
Second prize was awarded to Jessica Milne, of Wellington East Girls College, for her essay titled The Irish Language and the Literary Revival.
The honorary consul-general of Ireland, Rodney Walshe, will present the prizes to the top four winners at their school assemblies.
