SWIMMING/Round-Ireland diary: Seán Kenny says all the hardship has been worth it as the intrepid swimmers approach their goal.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 18TH

Frigid northerly airflows buffet the swimmers as they progress through the Achill Sound. This wind from the north has been unusually persistent as the team have move through Ireland's western waters. Its corollary is colder water. On top of this, warmth is foregone in favour of speed. Nuala Moore explains: "We had to make speed, so we had to make sacrifices, like not taking the time to dry properly and not having a cup of tea between stints. We're all very cold. Swimming into that northerly wind was like going 10 rounds with Mike Tyson."

Inishturk, Clare Island and Achill provide a welcome buffer between the team and the business end of the Atlantic. Blacksod, Co Mayo, is tonight's port of call.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 19TH

The cold, like some tactless house guest, just doesn't know when to leave. It arrived unbidden yesterday, stayed last night and is still there this morning. The team left the water shivering yesterday and they re-enter it today still feeling the chill.

"With the decrease in temperatures, I feel it in my shoulders. I feel very drained. But, knowing we're only a few days away, we have to put our heads down and go for it," says Ian Claxton.

Part of today's route takes the team through a sheltered channel by Belmullet. When they emerge into the open, they are bombarded once again by the ocean.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 20TH

It is now 50 days since the team left Carrickfinn in Donegal and today sees their return to the county. The end is now indisputably in sight.

The swimmers traverse most of Donegal Bay, alternately helped and hindered by the wind. "It was so variable. One minute we had a good breeze from the southwest at our backs, the next minute a wind from the northwest attacked us," says Claxton.

After seven weeks, the expedition has established its own mores. Someone's nosebleed is a source of considerable mirth.

MONDAY, AUGUST 21ST

As the expedition enters its final phase, the invariably variable Irish weather has turned in its favour.

The stubborn northerly wind the team have been facing into along the west coast has been replaced by a southwester. This eases their passage today.

Water crashing over the expedition boats leaves the swimmers with soggy clothes to change into, another souvenir of the Atlantic. Progress is good, however. The team are now 30 miles from their finishing point in Carrickfinn. The successful completion of the expedition is becoming more tangible.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 23RD

Carrickfinn beach is visible in the distance as the team progress further along the Donegal coast. "Seeing the beach today was unreal. Finishing will be highly emotional. I think there'll be a lot of relief," says Anne Marie Ward.

The day's swim takes place in an area familiar to Ward and her brother Ryan, Donegal natives. After almost two months on the expedition, home is now just two days away.

Today is a slog under difficult conditions. Nothing new there, except that proximity to the finishing line puts the hardship in context.

"I said today, whatever we had to go through, I was going to enjoy every minute of it. I was just trying to savour everything," says Claxton.