Valerie Goulding

Valerie Goulding
Senator
In office 27 October 1977 – 8 October 1981
Constituency	Nominated by the Taoiseach
Personal details
Born	Valerie Hamilton Monckton (1918-09-12)12 September 1918 Ightham Mote,England
Died	28 July 2003(2003-07-28)(aged 84) Dublin,Ireland
Nationality	Irish
Political party	Fianna Fáil
Spouse	Sir Basil Goulding
Children	3
Parent	The 1st Viscount Monckton of Brenchley(father)
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

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

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.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.She sought election toDáil Éireannas aFianna Fáilcandidate at theNovember 1982 general electionfor theDún Laoghaireconstituency but was unsuccessful.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

Lady Goulding died in a nursing home on 28 July 2003 in Dublin, aged 84.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.