David Brennan

I got my Morrison Visa in 1994. At the time, I was living in London and sharing a house in North London with close friends from Limerick. We were in our early twenties, having the time of our lives. Life was great, full of music, laughter, and the energy of youth.

One day, one of those friends saw an ad in the newspaper about the Morrison Visa lottery and decided to send in three postcards with our names. Two of us, myself included, were invited to submit full applications. The friend who sent the cards wasn’t selected, but we always knew she wouldn’t have left London anyway. I didn’t think I would either. I loved that city. I loved our life there. But for some reason, she kept encouraging me to send in the application. So I did.

Not long after, everything changed. That same friend, who had pushed me to apply, was murdered by her boyfriend in our house. It was devastating. Our world completely unraveled. Every street in London held a memory of her, and it became impossible to stay. We needed to start over somewhere new.

So I came to Philadelphia, and our other friend moved to Chicago. We both eventually decided to stay. We each met our partners, built lives, and not a day goes by that we aren’t grateful for the opportunity the visa gave us. It’s incredible to think that her one impulsive act, sending in our names, changed the course of our lives.

“I remember early on, standing in awe as I realized I had traveled 3,500 miles to get here, and I could keep going another 3,500 miles west without ever leaving the country.”

That moment filled me with such excitement. I wanted to explore, to see everything America had to offer.

The biggest challenge was the homesickness. I missed my family deeply. I’m not sure I ever truly overcame that feeling, but I was fortunate to be surrounded by amazing people who helped carry me through. That community, those relationships, made a world of difference.

What I’m most proud of is the life I’ve built with my husband. We’ve created something truly beautiful together, and I never take that for granted. Outside of that, a particularly special moment was chairing the judging panel for the Philadelphia Rose of Tralee in 2014, the year we sent Maria Walsh to Kerry, and she won the International title. That felt like such a powerful and joyful connection back to Ireland.

It’s overwhelming when I stop to think about how many lives were transformed by Senator Bruce Morrison’s vision. His work didn’t just open doors, it changed entire futures. Mine is just one of them, and I’m endlessly grateful.