Brendan McCaffery

Brendan McCaffery of Portadown, County Armagh, received the Morrison Visa in 1993 and built a remarkable life in Connecticut. His story is shared by his children, Liam and Rachel, and his wife Caitlin, who describe a man of deep integrity, quiet strength, and warm humor, someone who arrived in America seeking opportunity and gave back tenfold. From working long hours at a tuxedo store, to becoming executive director of a Catholic newspaper, to running his own State Farm agency and reviving youth Gaelic football, Brendan embodied the Morrison Visa legacy. He passed away in May 2024 following a battle with cancer, but his legacy lives on through his family and community. This is Brendan’s story, told by the people who knew and loved him best.

Brendan received the Morrison Visa in 1993. He had been living in Connecticut, first in New Haven, then Cheshire, where the family still lives today. Originally from Portadown, County Armagh, he had studied at Liverpool John Moores University and spent time in London before making the move to the U.S. He initially overstayed a previous visa and had to return to Ireland to activate the Morrison visa, during which time he was stuck for weeks while his case was reviewed. Eventually, it was approved and it changed everything.

Brendan grew up in a family of 11 children in Portadown. His mother died when he was 14, and his older siblings helped raise the younger ones. At the time, unemployment among Catholic men in Portadown was over 40%, and even his father encouraged him to leave in search of a better life. He studied in Liverpool and lived in London, but found it difficult to get by.

The promise of opportunity brought him to the U.S., where he had family in Milford, Connecticut. What began as a six-month visit eventually became a lifelong journey, made possible by the Morrison visa.

One story that always made Brendan’s family laugh: early in his time in the U.S., he and a friend stopped at a package store to buy beer before visiting friends. He grabbed a brand that looked Irish, “O’Doul’s”, not realizing it was non-alcoholic. The two of them sat around wondering why they weren’t feeling a thing after a few drinks. Brendan had a great sense of humor and stories like that became family favorites.

The biggest challenge was the grind, long hours, and limited options. Brendan worked full-time in a tuxedo shop while studying nights and weekends to finish his degree and pass the CPA exam. All of this while raising a young family. His wife Caitlin remembers him studying at the library between shifts, determined to carve out a better future. It took years, but he eventually became a certified accountant and then a successful State Farm agent running his own office.

Brendan was proud to build a life, a home, and a family. He helped put both his children through college, owned his home, and gave back to the Irish-American community.

He served as executive director of a Catholic newspaper, revived the youth Gaelic football program in New Haven, coached kids at tournaments across the U.S., and was a member of the Rotary Club. He lived his life with integrity and generosity, always helping others, never looking for recognition. But more than anything, he was proud of being a good father and husband.

The Morrison Visa meant opportunity, plain and simple. It gave Brendan the chance to build a future, plant roots, and start again. For his family, it’s a full-circle story: he settled in the same district that Bruce Morrison once represented. Years later, his son Liam, working for Senator Blumenthal in D.C., introduced himself to Congressman Morrison as a second-generation recipient, a moment that meant a great deal to both men. Brendan’s story is one of countless lives changed by the program, and his family sees sharing it as a way of honoring that legacy and paying it forward.