Correspondent Tom Wilmer and his wife were in Belfast in conjunction with the April 10th, 1998 Good Friday Agreement. It was a momentous time in Northern Ireland.
The Ulster Unionist Party had agreed to work with the Republicans, but it was by no means the end of the Troubles.
![Protestant/Loyalist graffiti Belfast 1998.jpg](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/95229e3/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1085x759+0+0/resize/880x616!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fdc%2F62%2Fd86454864998a84aaa0fe2ad4b55%2Fprotestant-loyalist-grafitti-belfast-1998.jpg)
The Royal Irish Constabulary (RUC), Northern Ireland’s policing agency, was perceived by many to be staunchly anti-Catholic and anti-Nationalistic.
![Catholic neighborhood Belfast 1998](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/892b99b/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1035x597+0+0/resize/880x508!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F66%2Fa2%2F4887ecc049e29873500a0703f495%2Fcatholic-neighborhood-belfast-1998.jpg)
Come along and join Wilmer as he recalls his meeting and subsequent friendship with an RUC sergeant in Craigavon, County Armagh, not far from Belfast back in 1998.
![Funding for Journeys of Discovery with Tom Wilmer provided by the Foundation at Hearst Castle](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/d6d3979/2147483647/strip/true/crop/216x240+0+0/resize/880x978!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F88%2F2f%2Fd8c4f62941a5aedd2b334e56da3e%2Ffoundation-at-hearst-castle-logo-2.png)
Conserving the past to inspire future generations of dreamers and preserving the legacy of Julia Morgan.
Experience authentically curated historical events that recreate what it was like to be a guest of William Randolph Hearst—click here to learn more about becoming a supporting member of the Foundation at Hearst Castle.
![Journeys of Discovery with Tom Wilmer is featured on the NPR Podcast Directory and the NPR One app.](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/0e9862f/2147483647/strip/true/crop/300x300+0+0/resize/880x880!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F99%2Fa9%2F91e681914ccc8b1042f6fd8e4f81%2Fnpr-podcasts.jpg)
You are invited to subscribe to the six time Lowell Thomas Award-winning travel podcast, Journeys of Discovery with Tom Wilmer, featured on the NPR Podcast Directory, Apple Podcast, the NPR One App & Stitcher.com and more than twenty other podcast hosting sites including iHeartRadio