Jane Anne Rothwell
Born: November 4th, 1976
Died: October 7th, 2018
Jane Anne Rothwell, the highly competent barrister and energetic supporter of the arts in her native city of Cork, has died at the age of 41. Such was the respect for her among her colleagues that members of the Cork Bar, the Southern Law Association and courthouse staff gathered on the steps of the Courthouse on Washington Street to pay tribute as her funeral cortege passed on October 9th. This was the first time that such a tribute was paid to a member of the Cork Bar.
The eldest of three children, Rothwell attended Christ King girls’ secondary school in Cork city and went on to study law at University College Cork (UCC). Following her graduation in 1997, she was called to the Bar in 1999 and worked mainly on the Cork and South Western circuits.
Rothwell was known as a tenacious and committed advocate who was also highly sociable and fun to be with. Colleagues recall that she was a formidable opponent on her feet in court but always fair in combat. Latterly she worked mainly on family law cases.
“With Jane Anne as your barrister, you got somebody who would fearlessly and fiercely assert and protect your rights in court. Yet any conflict or disagreement was put to one side at the end of the case when you left court,” commented one colleague.
Barrister Helen O’Driscoll, with whom Rothwell shared an office for 17 years, said that she had a natural connection with people. “She was very approachable and had a unique ability to make people feel extremely comfortable in very stressful and emotional situations.”
Media law
Rothwell lectured and tutored in company and tort law in UCC and Griffith College, Dublin from 2000 to 2005. She was also an examiner in media law for the Irish Academy of Public Relations. She became honorary secretary of the Munster Bar in 2004 and from that year onwards she organised an annual Cork Bar conference abroad with great aplomb. She also represented the Cork Bar for many years on the UCC Law Faculty Liaison Committee.
Aware of the competitive nature of the profession, she was very protective of the younger members of the bar and actively promoted and mentored younger female barristers. Drawing on her feminist credentials, she also campaigned successfully for a private members’ club in Cork city to give full membership to women; up to then it had only allowed women to be associate members.
Outside her professional life, Rothwell was a huge supporter of the arts. She took over as chair of the Cork Midsummer Festival in 2013 and led that organisation through a difficult period with passion, dedication and humour. Lorraine Maye, director of the Cork Midsummer Festival, said that no problem was too big or too small for her to take on.
She was a powerhouse of energy. She always wanted people to be the best version of themselves
“She spoke at festival launches with enthusiasm and charisma and she was a persuasive salesperson, taking every opportunity to sell tickets and membership.
“She was an inspirational leader. She believed in people and the importance of the cultural life of the city. She was incredibly generous with her time. She would drop everything and spend two hours over coffee with you until she reached a solution,” said Maye.
Musical events
A regular attendee at arts events in Cork city, Rothwell was particularly fond of theatre and musical events. Her husband, Steven O’Neill, played trumpet and piano with the Cork School of Music and sang with the Cork Operatic Society, and Rothwell attended all performances. O’Neill said that she connected with music of all kinds from opera to jazz to the Eurovision song contest. The couple also travelled widely throughout the world.
As the eldest in her family, Rothwell was the go-to person for advice of all kinds. “She was a powerhouse of energy. She always wanted people to be the best version of themselves. She was a phenomenal homemaker and could have been an architect or an interior designer had she not chosen to be a barrister. She willingly shared her ideas with friends and family members doing renovations,” said O’Neill.
Commenting on her close-knit ties with family, he added: “Christmas Day was the most important day of the year for her. Before we married in 2012, Jane Anne used to have all her family over for Christmas lunch and, after we married, my family came to. The lunch just got larger and larger.”
Jane Anne Rothwell is survived by her husband Steven O’Neill, her parents John and Parfrey Rothwell, her brothers Jonathan and Karl, sisters-in-law Clare and Beth, nieces Olive and Auden and nephew Ebby