Dungloe Family Fun Day returns to Randox Teoranta
Dungloe Family Fun Day returns to Randox Teoranta
Dungloe Fun Day 2019
Following the success of its 2018 début, the Randox Health Grand National Family Fun Day is returning to Dungloe, Donegal for a second year, and will be headlined in 2019 by Irish trad band Clann Mhic Ruairí.
The Laura Aisling Academy, the Scoil Roisin Band, Scoil Athphoirt Singers, and the Dungloe Marching Band will also perform at the event on Saturday 6th April, which will mark Dungloe-based Randox Teoranta’s sponsorship of the world’s greatest race, and celebrate the firm’s success as it takes to the world stage for the Randox Health Grand National.
Dónall Mac Ruairí of Clann Mhic Ruairí, looked ahead to the event and commented;
“Ní thig linn fanacht – we are delighted to be performing at the Randox Health Grand National Family Fun Day, following its incredible success in 2018. The event evokes the true community spirit and family atmosphere that we are so well-known for here in Donegal and we are certain it will be a great day out. Many thanks to Randox Teoranta for hosting – we’re keeping our fingers crossed for another Irish winner! Bigí linn.”
Since opening in Dungloe in 2008, biotechnology company Randox Teoranta has grown rapidly to become a key employer in Donegal in the areas of life sciences, engineering and manufacturing, a growth that its Managing Director Dr FitzGerald sees as having benefited from significant support from the local community;
“Donegal residents, and the wider diaspora alike, have been incredibly supportive of our endeavours to offer world-leading science, engineering, software and manufacturing careers in west Donegal, so that people working in these fields no longer have to move away from home to find work.
“It gives us great pride therefore to be able to open the doors to Randox Teoranta on Saturday 6th April and join together with the local community in celebration of the Randox Health Grand National. We are delighted with how the event transpired last year, and the fact that Tiger Roll, an Irish-trained horse, won the big race, made the first ever Family Fun Day in Dungloe incredibly special.
“We know that this year’s event will again surpass expectations and we look forward to making it even bigger and better than before.”
Taking place between 1pm and 7pm on Randox Health Grand National Day, the event is free for all the family, with kid’s activities including a bouncy castle and a rodeo bull, food, drink, and craft stalls and a large screen for the public to watch the Randox Health Grand National at Aintree in Liverpool.
Guests to the event will be joined by a team from RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta, who will be broadcasting live with their request show, Cas Ceirnín, at 1.20 pm, followed by Spórt an tSathairn from 2 pm, presented by well-known radio personality Seán Bán Breathnach, or SBB, who celebrates 50 years on air this month!
Seán Bán Breathnach, RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta, commented;
“We are delighted to take up the invitation to broadcast Spórt an tSathairn live from the Randox Health Grand National Family Fun Day again this year. It’s such a special day for all horse-racing enthusiasts like myself, and the atmosphere last year was just fantastic, so I’ll be looking forward to this year’s event.”
The Randox Health Grand National Family Fun Day will also host a racing-themed colouring competition, for which school pupils in the area have been asked to submit entries. Winners will be announced on the day.
For more information or to arrange interviews, please contact Randox PR by phoning 028 9442 2413 or emailing randoxpr@randox.com
We Are Randox | BANDOX’s début performance at Randox FEST 2018
Thanks to our series of We Are Randox staff profiles, we have the opportunity to find out more about our colleagues, and one of our favourite things is when we discover a lesser-known talent, hobby or interest. From top bakers to renowned athletes, dedicated volunteers to inspiring youth leaders, and charity fundraisers to creative artists, many of our staff are just as busy outside of the office as they are in it.
This month, in the search for our next We Are Randox interviewee, we’ve been lucky enough to find not one but five humble musicians working in our midst!
The newly-formed Randox staff band, or BANDOX as they are known to those of us here at Randox, made up of drummer Suzanne Alexander, Rhythm Guitarist Jeremy Parker, Bass Guitarist Scott McKeown, Lead Guitarist Max Brown, and Vocalists Sally Picton and Rebecca Aldous, recently made their début performance at our annual staff fun day, Randox FEST.
After playing an entertaining setlist of both classical and modern musical anthems including Sweet Caroline, Sweet Home Alabama, and Livin’ On A Prayer, for which they received a gallant round of applause and even demands for an encore, the band sat down with us to tell us a little bit more about themselves and to share some interesting anecdotes.
Drummer Suzanne Alexander
Suzanne is an experienced brass player, drummer and percussionist, having played at a number of gigs over the years as part of a brass band and impressively also a céilí band. Suzanne also got married this year. Congratulations Suzanne!
Rhythm Guitarist Jeremy Parker
Jeremy is the newest member of BANDOX, having only joined the group 2 days before their exclusive Randox FEST performance! Not only does Jeremy play guitar in another band called ‘Chivalry is Dead’, but he also plays the trumpet. Something you may not know about Jeremy however – he has been known to preach the odd sermon!
Bass Guitarist Scott McKeown
Matched only by his flair for colourful and bold shirt choices, R&D Product Manager Scott’s skills on the bass guitar have seen him play in rock concerts across the country. The best-dressed member of the Randox Biosciences team, Scott is always ready for a rave.
Lead Guitarist Max Brown
Max is well-known throughout the Randox office for his creativity in our Graphic Design team. Less well-known however, unless you follow him on Instagram, are his skills on the electric guitar. Fun fact about Max – he once had a trial with Sunderland Athletic Football Club while at university but suffered fallen arches and had to withdraw.
Vocalists Sally Picton and Rebecca Aldous
Sally and Rebecca are no strangers to the mic, having performed around the world with the Belfast Philharmonic Choir, for which the well-oiled singing duo’s favourite songs to sing are those by ABBA. Rebecca has a bassoon called Bob and Sally used to be a rugby referee.
So there you have it – our staff band! BANDOX will be coming soon to a Randox event near you, so keep an eye out on our social media channels for live performances and exclusive interviews.
For autograph requests or further information, please email randoxpr@randox.com
Randox looks east to develop new business relationships
Representatives from global medical diagnostics firm Randox Laboratories have been reaching out to business partners in Russia this week, by accompanying world-renowned pianist Barry Douglas to his performance with the State Academic Symphony Orchestra of Russia and its conductor Alexander Lazarev, at the Moscow Conservatory.
The healthcare company, which has headquarters in County Antrim, is the global sponsor of Barry Douglas and his Camerata Ireland orchestra. The partnership allows Randox to deliver on its commitment to showcase the wide variety of talent on the island of Ireland to a global audience – both through the arts and also through its own scientific expertise.
Mark Campbell, Senior Manager at Randox Laboratories, commented;
“Accompanying the talented Barry Douglas to Russia allows Randox the opportunity to simultaneously support the promotion of our talented Irish musicians, while also strengthening key business relationships and promoting exports.
“We are proud to promote Northern Ireland to Russia as not only a country of rich musical heritage, but also an innovative and technologically advanced country continually investing in R&D, with a highly skilled manufacturing workforce. We have been exporting to the health sector in Russia for over 20 years and we look forward to nurturing these business relationships and developing new ones.”
Barry Douglas, Founder and Artistic Director of Camerata Ireland, and winner of the 1986 International Tchaikovksy Competition, a classical music competition held every four years in Moscow, said;
“It is such an honour to be able to take to the stage in Moscow with the exceptionally talented Alexander Lazarev and the State Academic Symphony Orchestra. It is particularly meaningful for me to be back in the city where I made my name, in 1986. It is thanks to the generous support of our sponsors, particularly our global sponsor Randox, that I and my fellow musicians are able to continue doing what we love.”
Barry Douglas performed with The State Academic Symphony Orchestra of Russia on Wednesday 6th September 2017 in The Great Hall of the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory.
For further information about Randox in Russia please contact Randox PR on 028 9445 1016 or email RandoxPR@randox.com
We Are Randox | Eamon Lenehan, Randox Rockstar Extraordinaire
Creativity can take many forms. And there’s nobody who seems to embody this saying better than our Global Marketing Manager, Eamon Lenehan.
By day he’s a Marketing Guru coming up with creative and innovative campaigns for Randox products. But by night he’s a rockstar in a Northern Irish Indie Band – playing drums and writing new songs!
As we continue our #WeAreRandox series of staff stories, we’re delighted to have found out about Eamon’s musical alter-ego.
We love getting to know the hobbies and interests that make our colleagues who they are and hope that Eamon’s story encourages other musical members of our team to meet up, chat about their shared interests and find out just a little bit more about each other.
Here’s Eamon’s story.
My background in music is something I’m very proud of but just never get the chance to talk about at work because I’m always so busy! At Randox I head up the Marketing for the clinical side of our business – our RX Series clinical chemistry analysers, Randox Quality Control, and our Randox Reagents. I’m also heavily involved in the Marketing for the Randox Health Grand National so I’m never short of work to do!
Basically I’ve always been musical. I grew up in a musical household and learnt to play the piano from a very young age. As my interest in music grew I then took up the drums too. I still practice regularly and I’m often asked to play in bands or orchestras at musical performances by local production companies.
In my teens I was lucky that a good number of my friends were musical too and so quite early on we became involved in the Belfast music scene. I got to know the sound team at the Empire Music Hall and also Gary Lightbody from Snow Patrol who is very supportive of up and coming musicians. In 1996 I was lucky enough to be part of a band who supported Snow Patrol. That was long before they became so well-known, back when they were just part of the university scene in Belfast. I learnt so much from them.
As time went on I had the opportunity to become involved in an increasing number of musical projects to build up my experience. For example, I was involved in a project that Paul Cook from The Sex Pistols was producing, which was amazing, especially for a fellow drummer.
I guess my friends and I became inspired by all the musical talent that we had grown up around and had been lucky enough to work with. We took inspiration from bands we had been in previously – I myself had been in a band called The Scenes – and then in 2010 we pulled together and started up our own band in a studio in Northern Ireland called Mogul Studios.
The band was called Levity Breaks – made up of myself on drums, singer and bassist Marty McLaughlin, keyboardist Jonny McGuiness and guitarist Richie Lappin. You can do a quick google search and find some of our songs very easily.
I’m most proud of a song we wrote called ‘The Floor’, the video of which was produced for us by Maverick Renegade Productions. It was our début single and it did really well because it’s a big, anthem-style tune which evokes a lot of emotion. We got to perform in gigs across Belfast including The Limelight.
Once again we were lucky to receive support from Gary Lightbody’s artist development company, Third Bar. We were selected by the company to receive the Bushmills Live Legacy Fund in 2014, which meant we received some funding and also performed alongside headliners The 1975 and Tired Pony during Bushmills Live in the summer of that year.
It was such a fantastic time in my life and I’m proud to have been part of something so huge. I am now doing some session work for a band called The Irontown Diehards and am excited to bring my experiences and ideas to their new album.
I have two passions in life; marketing and music, and I’m hoping that my talents in the former will help promote my involvement in the latter. It all boils down to creativity and that’s what I love about both of my interests. Of course knowing Gary Lightbody doesn’t hurt either…
Randox wouldn’t be the innovative and forward-thinking healthcare company it is today without the creativity and hard work of people like Eamon. We’re delighted he’s part of our team and that he brings his enthusiasm, commitment and talent with him every day to Randox.
If you want to hear some of Eamon’s music you can check him out in action on the drums here:
We can’t stop listening!
Make sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram to stay up-to-date with the hashtag #WeAreRandox for more Randox staff stories.
For more information about the #WeAreRandox initiative please contact Randox PR by email: randoxpr@randox.com or phone 028 9442 2413
We Are Randox | Tanya McKinty, Theater Choreographer turned R&D Scientist
Nerdy scientist by day but all singing all dancing performer by night – is there anything that Tanya McKinty can’t do?
Tanya works in the new state-of-the-art Randox Science Park as an R&D scientist but is also busy preparing for her roles as Lambeth landlady Mrs. Brown and Pearly Queen in the musical comedy ‘Me and My Girl.’
Tanya is performing this evening and the rest of the week (9th – 13th May) in the Grand Opera House and so we wanted to celebrate her talents and hard work with a feature piece on her personal musical story.
Good luck tonight Tanya!
Read on to find out how Tanya balances her scientific career and her passion for performing arts.
Hi Tanya, can you tell us a little bit about how you got started here in Randox?
I joined the company in 1993 after completing my PhD in Physical Chemistry and was involved in the early development work on the Randox biochips. But I have always loved studying so I did a Maths degree part time with the Open University and correspondence courses in spreadsheets, databases and VB programming. Now my official title is Data Analyst and I spend most of my time analysing data and devising problem-solving workbooks and macros for many departments throughout the company.
So how did you get into musical theatre given your strong background in Science and Maths?
I have been performing on stage since I was seven years old. My family was involved in ‘Those Who Care’ (TWC) which was a company set up by Tom McMurtry to provide entertainment to the staff and patients in Muckamore Abbey Hospital. They put on spring revue shows and Christmas pantomimes. I started as a dancer and then as I grew older I gradually began getting more acting roles. My first big acting role was when I was sixteen were I played the Fairy Godmother in Cinderella. After that I got involved with some of the amateur companies in Belfast that staged musicals.
I always had a great interest in dance and attended ballet and tap until I was 18. I took jazz, hip hop contemporary and musical theatre dance lessons as well. In 2013 I received my Diploma in Musical Theatre from the London College of Music. Since then I have taken part in a range of different acting workshops and play the piano occasionally. I was always more interested in music theory rather than music practice because I was quite mathematical. I reached grade five in theory and grade four in practice.
What do you do now in terms of acting?
Right now I am preparing to play the roles of Lambeth landlady Mrs. Brown and Pearly Queen in the musical comedy ‘Me and My Girl’. This is with St Agnes’ Choral Society and will take place in the Grand Opera House from the 9th-13th May. We have been rehearsing for past four months for it so I’m really looking forward to showcasing it to a public audience.
Can you tell us a bit about the preparation that has gone into ‘Me and My Girl’?
The early rehearsals involved learning all the music with our musical director. Most of the choral numbers are (at least) four part harmony and it’s important to get that drilled first so that when you start adding movement the harmonies are second nature and you only have to focus on what your feet are doing.
We then started learning the choreographed routines. There are some fast-paced numbers in this show so you really have to build up stamina to sing and dance at the same time. After that we start putting it all together with the dialogue scenes to learn where everything fits into place and when to make entrances and exits.
The week before the show is the most exciting but also the most exhausting. Stage manager, props team, sound and lighting all come along to rehearsals and we have the costume call where we get to see what the costumiers have sent over for us to wear. Then it’s into the Opera House for band call (singing with the full orchestra), tech rehearsal to mark scene changes and identify any technical issues and then dress rehearsal.
How did you get started with St Agnes’ Choral Society?
My friend was choreographing ‘Annie Get Your Gun’ for the company and they were short on dancers so she asked me to come in for the show. Everyone in the company was so friendly and welcoming and there was just a great family feel to it. So I auditioned to officially join the company and I haven’t looked back.
Can you tell us the names of any plays that you have starred in?
To date my two biggest roles have probably been Mrs Meers in ‘Thoroughly Modern Millie’ and Lorraine in ‘Boogie Nights’ which was a 70s musical. I’ve also had roles in ‘42nd Street’, ‘West Side Story’, ‘The Sound of Music’, ‘Hairspray’ and ‘9 to 5’ as well as others. My favourite character to play would be the villain or to have a good comedy role. I think Mrs Meers has been one of my favourite characters to play as she is a bit of both.
What has been the highlight of your time in St Agnes’ Choral Society to date?
By far the best highlight for me was being nominated as ‘Best Comedienne’ at the Association of Irish Musical Societies (AIMS). The AIMS has an adjudication scheme which considers all the musicals staged by amateur companies throughout Ireland. In June they have an awards weekend with a ceremony on the Saturday night very much in the style of the Oscars which is very glamorous. In 2011 I got nominated for my role as Mrs Meers. Although I didn’t win I still got an award for the mantelpiece, plus I didn’t have to make any acceptance speech which was a bonus I quite enjoyed.
Are there any upcoming plays happening after ‘Me and My Girl’?
Yes, we put on a show every year so the next one will be next year at some point. We haven’t announced which show yet but when it’s announced I’ll make sure to let you know. We perform an annual show in the Grand Opera House and then have a concert program for the rest of the year.
What do you enjoy most about acting in all of these plays?
I love reading and analysing a script to get an insight into a character. I also love telling a story no matter how complicated it is and experimenting with different ways to bring that character to life. I have worn an enormous fat suit and danced on a table, chased people around the stage with a (fake) shotgun and been the office drunk. But my favourite thing is working together with a team of people to give an audience an experience.
How did you get involved in choreographing shows throughout NI?
I started choreographing for the TWC because I had the most dance experience. I then joined Ulster Operatic and became dance captain (probably because I was the bossiest dancer!) and then started choreographing for them. After that I got approached by different companies to work with them.
What shows have you choreographed?
Lots! My favourites have been 42nd Street, High School Musical (I and II), Little Shop of Horrors, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Sister Act and Sunset Boulevard.
Do you have any other interests/hobbies outside of work?
I love to read if I can find time. My favourite genre would be historical novels.
What led you to pursue a career in science over acting?
I have always been a science geek! I got my first chemistry set when I was 11 and loved puzzles and problem-solving so I was always destined to be a scientist.
How do you manage your time between Randox and rehearsals?
Usually rehearsals are only once or twice a week so it’s not too bad. When we are rehearsing for a show our big rehearsals tend to be at the weekend. It can be exhausting but you get such a buzz from it that it’s worth it.
We’re so proud of Tanya and her commitment and dedication to her musical passion. We know she will do so well in the Grand Opera House this evening and can’t wait to hear how it goes!
Break a leg!
If you are interested in joining our global team make sure that you check out the Randox careers website to see what new opportunities we have for you.
#WeAreRandox
