If there's one profession that enables a person to really get the lay of the land in another country it has to be the foreign correspondent. Tasked with uncovering unique stories about a given part of the world, they have to get right into the heart of that place and its people.

My guest for this episode is Margaret Ward, a former award-winning foreign reporter and editor with Irish public broadcaster RTÉ. Through her work and outside it, Margaret has travelled to more than 60 countries, from Afghanistan to Rwanda, and was the first person to blog on the RTE website – from inside North Korea.

As foreign editor, Margaret led RTE’s international coverage from 1999 until 2007, when she went to China to open its bureau in Beijing. She has also reported for the BBC, CBC Canada, Deutsche Welle and France 24.

Margaret spoke with me about a love affair with France that started in her student days, revisiting Belgrade after the Yugoslav war, immersing herself in Costa Rican nature, and the curious case of a Clerys bag in Chechnya.

I hope you enjoy. And thanks for listening!

This episode was produced and presented by Joe O'Connor. Original music and editing by Paul Loughran. Podcast branding and design by I said I would.

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