Hugo MacNeill

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For the Ireland international rugby union player see Hugo MacNeill (rugby player)

Lieutenant General Hugo MacNeill was an Irish soldier.

Born in 1900, MacNeill was an officer of the National Army during the Irish Civil War. In 1923 he was promoted to Colonel after an intelligence windfall allowed him to prevent a series of IRA attacks in Dublin. In 1924 he was promoted to Major General and appointed assistant Chief of Staff of the National Army. In 1926 MacNeill attended the US Army Command and Staff Course in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. He was appointed commander of the Irish Army's Second Division during The Emergency.

A controversial character,he is known^{[weasel words]} to have approached the German Legation in 1940 without apparent authorisation. Very anti-British and a heavy drinker, he was considered^{[weasel words]} academically very bright but lacking common sense. He did however accept the covert aid of the British Army in training initiatives for his division, notably in the establishment of the intensive "battle school" at Gormanston and the secret training of selected Irish troops in commando techniques in Northern Ireland.

He was promoted to Lieutenant General in 1946, although he did not fill any appointment.

MacNeill's main activity following retirement was the co-ordination of "An Tostal" festivals in the 1950s. He was noted^{[weasel words]} as having a great affection for 'historical' paegantry. He died in 1963.