Descended from Irish nationalist grandparents on both sides, Neal has been an advocate for Irish concerns throughout his Congressional career, pushing to keep the United States involved in the Northern Ireland peace process. He is the co-chair of the "ad hoc" Committee on Irish Affairs, has been chairman of the Friends of Ireland since 2007, and was considered as a candidate for United States Ambassador to Ireland in 1998. After the disarmament of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) in September 2005, Neal was among a group of Congressmen who met with Sinn Féin MP Martin McGuinness to congratulate him on the disarmament and ensure a lasting peace had been reached. Neal invited Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams to the inauguration of Barack Obama in January 2009. Neal has been named as one of the top 100 Irish-Americans by "Irish America" magazine and received the International Leadership Award from The American Ireland Fund in 2002.