International Voices at UMSL

Eamonn Wall, Ireland
Smurfit-Stone Corporation Professor of Irish Studies
Professor of English

How long have you been at UMSL?

20 years

Besides English, what languages do you speak?

Irish

What books, music, movies, or food from your country would you recommend to a friend from the United States?

Books: James Joyce's Dubliners. W. B. Yeats' Poems and Plays. Edna O' Brien's The Country Girls Trilogy. Movies: The Secret Of Roan Inish and The Wind That Shakes the Barley.

What is one thing you expected about St. Louis or the United States that wasn’t actually true?

Much of what I expected was partially true. It was the nuances that fascinated me: in food, culture, people, attitudes, climate, etc. What surprised me the most about St. Louis is how hot it is in the summer months. But, coming from rainy Ireland, I am not complaining.

What is something about your home country that would surprise Americans?
It is a major tech hub--where Google, Facebook, etc. have their European headquarters.

What advice would you give to someone from your home country traveling to the United States for the very first time?

Don't just travel to the coastal areas. Spend some time in the Midwest.

What made you choose UMSL?

UMSL provided me with an opportunity to create an Irish Studies presence on campus, in the St. Louis area, and in Missouri.