 The Constitution of Ireland provides , " Titles of nobility shall not be conferred by the State " ( Article 40 @.@ 2 @.@ 1 ° ) and " No title of nobility or of honour may be accepted by any citizen except with the prior approval of the Government " ( Article 40 @.@ 2 @.@ 2 ° ) . Legal experts are divided on whether this clause prohibits the awarding of membership of the Order of St Patrick to Irish citizens , but some suggest that the phrase " titles of nobility " implies hereditary peerages and other noble titles , not lifetime honours such as knighthoods . In any case , an Irish citizen would require the approval of the Government of Ireland to receive an award from a reigning monarch of the United Kingdom in this manner . 
