A boat built in Co Mayo has docked back in the county, after its crew completed a circumnavigation of the Arctic.
Those on board the vessel say their trip provided further evidence of the extent of global warming and its impact on the environment around the North Pole.
The Northabout sailed into Clew Bay this afternoon, at the conclusion of a four-month voyage around the top of the world.
It is the second time the vessel has circumnavigated the Arctic, with the two journeys taking place in vastly different conditions.
On the first trip back in 2001, ice impeded progress on both the Northeast and Northwest Passages.
It meant that the first Irish crewed circumnavigation of the Arctic took years to complete, with travel only possible during the warmer seasons.
After being purchased by an English exploration company last year, the Northabout set sail from Bristol in June. The crew sailed north of Russia and Alaska, around Canada and Greenland before heading south towards Ireland.
The journey has taken less than four months to complete, due to the acceleration of melting icecaps.
In the coming months, data gathered on the voyage will be compared and contrasted with information from 15 years ago.
Those who have been involved say they hope the findings will draw attention to the extent at which climate change is impacting on the Arctic.
