Deirdre O’Connor

The Morrison Visa: A Life Transformed

In the 1990s, Ireland was facing a difficult economic chapter, with unemployment soaring to around 15%. College graduates were disproportionately impacted, and I was no exception. Living at home with my parents in Cobh, County Cork, I was earning just £50 a week as a trainee accountant and didn’t have many prospects in sight. The Irish finance industry was a far cry from where it is today.

Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, Congressman Bruce Morrison secured approximately 45,000 U.S. visas earmarked for Irish citizens. It was a beacon of hope and would soon change the trajectory of my life forever.

At the time, I was in Cape May, New Jersey, flipping burgers at McDonald’s on a J-1 visa. On my way back to Ireland, I stopped in New York City to visit my Aunt Mary for the weekend in Woodside. She urged me to apply for the Morrison Visa, and this encouragement planted a seed that would soon blossom into a life-changing journey.

Once I received the visa, I scraped together $500, bought a one-way ticket to New York, and stayed with my dear Aunt Mary, who generously allowed me to move in for a couple of months. I arrived in May 1995, bursting with hope, enthusiasm, and ambition, and was full of positivity. I put on a black suit, took the subway down to Wall Street, and sat on the steps of Federal Hall across from the New York Stock Exchange, soaking in the energy and dreaming big in the glorious sunshine, not missing the rain in Ireland.

“Looking up at the towering skyscrapers, I firmly believed that there was one job in one of those buildings meant for me. Positivity is a force multiplier.”

Determined to find a job, I turned $20 into quarters, began cold-calling from a payphone, which was my first lesson in cold-calling and persistence. After over 50 calls, I reached an Irish recruiter, Bart O’Rourke, at Executive Search. He set up an interview at Barclays Bank. At that point, the luck of the Irish kicked in and the hiring manager had just celebrated his wedding in Dublin six weeks earlier. I left the interview as Barclays’ newest minted accounts payable clerk. I loved that job; I felt so grateful. I worked 14 hours a day, studied everything about every invoice, and quickly rose through the ranks.

From that moment, I never looked back. I threw myself into work, was very detailed, learned as much as I could, worked hard, and made a lot of great friends. That first opportunity opened the door to roles across Wall Street: JPMorgan, Morgan Stanley, and Goldman Sachs. Eventually, I became CFO of BlackRock Alternative Investments and currently serve as CFO of Cerberus Capital Management.

Along the way, I fell in love with another Morrison Visa recipient, Feargall Kenny from Dublin. We built a life together in New York and are now the proud parents of three great, fun American children: Cliona (20, Colby College), Colin (18, Bates College), and Ava (16, Marymount School).

“Through it all, I’ve never stopped being grateful for the Morrison Visa and the opportunity it provided. In 2015, I got a great opportunity to visit the White House for St Patrick’s Day. When I was there I ran into Congressman Morrison in person and got the opportunity to thank him for the impact he had on my life, a moment I will always cherish.”

His vision didn’t just open doors for thousands of Irish immigrants, it transformed our lives and now the next generation.

With every milestone, from Vice President at JPMorgan to Managing Director at Goldman Sachs and now CFO at Cerberus, I’ve taken a quiet moment to reflect with immense gratitude on Congressman Morrison’s legacy. I often wondered if he knew just how many lives he impacted.

In return, I have always felt a deep sense of duty to give back to Ireland and to the Irish community in New York. I had the opportunity to be a founding member of Digital Irish, mentored countless J1 students, supported tech and startup innovation, and served on the boards of various Irish nonprofit organizations. I was the International Advisor to the Irish Financial Services Industry Advisory Committee and to the Irish Financial Services Strategic Advisory Group.

As we prepare to honor Congressman Morrison in September 2025, I’ll be standing among countless others whose lives were shaped by his foresight, generosity, and leadership. I am grateful to serve on the Steering Committee of the Bruce Morrison Legacy. We are forever grateful to Congressman Bruce Morrison.