Valerie Goulding
Valerie Goulding | |
---|---|
Senator | |
In office 27 October 1977 – 8 October 1981 | |
Constituency | Nominated by the Taoiseach |
Personal details | |
Born | Valerie Hamilton Monckton 12 September 1918 Ightham Mote,England |
Died | 28 July 2003 Dublin,Ireland | (aged 84)
Nationality | Irish |
Political party | Fianna Fáil |
Spouse | Sir Basil Goulding |
Children | 3 |
Parent | |
Relatives | The 2nd Viscount Monckton of Brenchley(brother) |
Education | Downe House School |
Occupation | Campaigner |
Known for | Co-founder of theCentral Remedial Clinicin Dublin, Ireland |
Valerie Hamilton, Lady Goulding(12 September 1918 – 28 July 2003) was an Irish campaigner fordisabled people,andsenatorwho set up theCentral Remedial Clinicin 1951 alongside Kathleen O'Rourke which is now the largest organisation in Ireland looking after people with physical disabilities. She served as a member ofSeanad Éireannfrom 1977 to 1981.
Background
[edit]Born Valerie Hamilton Monckton, she was the only daughter of Mary Adelaide Somes Colyer-Ferguson andSir Walter Monckton(later 1st Viscount Monckton of Brenchley). She was born atIghtham Mote,which was owned by her maternal grandfather,Sir Thomas Colyer-Fergusson,until his death in 1951. Her only brother,Gilbert,became aMajor generalin theBritish Army.She was educated atDowne House School,nearNewbury.Both Valerie and her brother, Gilbert, would ultimately convert toRoman Catholicism.
Her father was a British lawyer and politician, and became chief legal adviser toEdward VIIIduring theAbdication Crisisin 1936. She acted as her father's secretary and courier during the crisis, carrying letters between the King and the Prime Minister,Stanley Baldwin.
Career
[edit]InWorld War II,she joined theFirst Aid Nursing Yeomanrybefore switching to theAuxiliary Territorial Service.In Dublin for a race meeting in 1939, she met and soon married Irishfertilisermanufacturer and art collectorSir Basil Gouldingand moved to Ireland. However, her husband moved to England to join theRAF,ending the war as aWing commander;meanwhile, she served as asecond lieutenantin the British Army. After the war, the couple returned to Ireland, where Sir Basil and his family managedGoulding Chemicals.
In 1951, she co-founded, with Kathleen O'Rourke, theCentral Remedial Cliniclocated in a couple of rooms in central Dublin, to provide non-residential care fordisabled people.The Clinic later moved to a purpose building in Clontarf in 1968, where it is located today.[1]The Clinic's foundation initiated a revolution in the treatment of physical disability and rapidly grew to by far the largest centre dealing with the needs of disabled people. Lady Goulding remained chairman and managing director of the CRC until 1984.
On account of her widespread popularity, she wasnominated by the Taoiseach,Jack Lynch,toSeanad Éireann,where she worked to raise awareness of disability issues in 1977.[2]She sought election toDáil Éireannas aFianna Fáilcandidate at theNovember 1982 general electionfor theDún Laoghaireconstituency but was unsuccessful.[3]She was spoken of as a possiblePresident of Irelandin 1983, should the president,Patrick Hillery,decline to seek a second term. (Hillery ultimately was re-elected).
Family
[edit]Lady Goulding died in a nursing home on 28 July 2003 in Dublin, aged 84.[4]She was predeceased by her husband, Sir Basil Goulding, in 1982. Her eldest son, Sir William Goulding, known as Lingard Goulding, served as Headmaster ofHeadfort SchoolinCounty Meath;the other sons are Hamilton and Timothy ofDr. Strangely Strange.
References
[edit]- ^Jordan, Anthony J. (2008).The good samaritans: memoir of a biographer.Dublin: Westport Books. pp. 119–128.ISBN978-0-9524447-5-6.
- ^"Valerie Goulding".Oireachtas Members Database.Retrieved8 October2019.
- ^"Lady Valerie Goulding".ElectionsIreland.org.Retrieved8 October2019.
- ^"Obituary".The Daily Telegraph.15 August 2003.
- 1918 births
- 2003 deaths
- Fianna Fáil senators
- Converts to Roman Catholicism
- People educated at Downe House School
- English Roman Catholics
- Daughters of viscounts
- Members of the 14th Seanad
- 20th-century women members of Seanad Éireann
- People from Ightham
- Politicians from Dublin (city)
- Nominated members of Seanad Éireann
- Wives of baronets
- Auxiliary Territorial Service officers
- First Aid Nursing Yeomanry people
- British emigrants to Ireland
- Health professionals from Dublin (city)
- Fianna Fáil candidates in Dáil elections
- Military personnel from Kent