Son of John Neal.

Carolan (2010) states that the Neals were 'musicians, makers, and importers of musical instruments, publishers and importers of sheet music, music impresarios, and property speculators', and 'the first known trade importers, and the first known makers probably, of the violin in Ireland'. Rice states that 'the Neale family helped to establish a tradition of music printing in Dublin which exploited the absence of copyright law in Ireland'. William described himself in legal documents (1732–42) as 'musical instrument maker'.

From 1723 to 1733 William published together with John Neal. A Collection of the Most Celebrated Irish Tunes Proper for the Violin, German Flute or Hauboy from 1724 is the earliest collection of Irish music (Carolan, 2nd edn). The Neal's publication in 1726 of the earliest German flute tutor by Jacques Hotteterre le Romain's Printempes de la Flute Traversiere ou Flute d'Allemagne (1707), translated into English, is the earliest surviving English-language translation. (Carolan, 2010)

From 1734 to 1741 William published seven volumes of music, between 1740 and 1744 in partnership with William Manwaring (Boydell, Calendar).

By 1740 he was treasurer of the Charitable Musical Society, in which capacity he was responsible for building the Music Room in Fishamble Street. After 1741, when he became the first manager-director of the Fishamble Street hall, William Neal was involved in only one other music publication: two numbers of The Monthly Masque, a series that began c. 1744, in which he was associated again with William Manwaring.

Mark [could be John or William's]: 'NEALE/MAKER (heart pierced by two arrows)' (Waterhouse).

Carolan suggests that Denis Connor may have been an employee and succeeded the Neal business in Christ Church Yard.

[Details differ according to sources: Humphries & Smith and Munter gives the dates as 1734 to 1741. Munter erroneously states that William joined his father John in business in 1734. Note: Berry and Carolan (2010) gives the partnership of Neal & Manwaring at Corelli's Head College Green in 1737, Boydell (Calendar) gives the partnership dates as 1740 to 1744 and Munter gives them as 1740 to 1741.]