Honours Committee Honours Committee The Honours Committee is a committee within the Cabinet Office of the Government of the United Kingdom formed to review nominations for national honours for merit, exceptional achievement or service. Twice yearly the Honours Committee submits formal recommendations for the British monarch's New Years and Birthday Honours. Members of the Honours Committee—which comprises a main committee and nine subcommittees in speciality areas—research and vet nominations for national awards, including knighthoods and the Order of the British Empire. The honours system is an ancient one, particularly in Britain; Æthelstan, King of the English in the 10th century, was knighted
Irish honours system Between 1980 and 1991 there were 175 inquiries from foreign governments about awarding decorations other than titles to Irish citizens. These do not fall within Article 40.2.2°, and the government raised no objections to any. A 2005 article in the "Sunday Times" after The Corrs had accepted MBEs, noted an increase in the number of recent Irish recipients of British awards, naming Daniel O'Donnell, Niall Quinn, Pierce Brosnan, Pat Eddery, and Orla Guerin; observing "the more gongs the British send across the Irish Sea, the less likely it is that the issue [of an Irish honours system] will go away".