Jack McNeela, Irish Republican Army, died on hunger strike

Jack McNeela was an Irish republican and a senior member of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) from Ballycroy, County Mayo, Ireland. McNeela was one of 22 Irish republicans who died on hunger-strike. As a young man, McNeela was an athlete in County Mayo and participated in Gaelic games. He came from a family of four brothers and two sisters. His brother Paddy was also a leader in the IRA, holding,the position of Quartermaster general in Dublin.

The Irish Republican Army (IRA) is a name used by various resistance organizations in Ireland throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. Organisations by this name have been dominantly Catholic and dedicated to anti-imperialism through Irish republicanism, the belief that all of Ireland should be an independent republic free from British colonial rule.

April 19 is the 109th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 256 days remain until the end of the year.