Press Articles

Elaine Brennan was in London in 1994 when her mother phoned to say she’d won the lottery. Not the Lotto, you understand, although almost as lucrative and life-changing. It was the lottery for Morrison visas, which allowed about 45,000 Irish people to live and work in the United States at a time when the economy here was ailing. (Photo: Frank McGrath)

We had a powerful conversation about the Bruce Morrison legacy Foundation and being a Morrison Visa recipient herself, Elaine shared her unique perspective on the program's 30year impact, its lasting contribution to Irish-American life, and how the foundation is honoring its legacy, and Bruce Morrison himself on Oct 1st at an upcoming Gala at the Rainbow Room in NYC later this year.

If you were a recipient of the Morrison Visa Program a new website telling the stories of those who went stateside between 1992 and 1995 will be of interest. The Morrison Legacy Foundation launched the website to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Morrison Visa Program and they are hoping that local visa recipients might also share their stories.

Elaine Brennan of The Morrison Legacy Foundation spoke to Jerry as this year marks the 30th anniversary of the Morrison Visas, which benefited 45,000 migrants from across the island of Ireland who came to the USA in the 1990s.The Morrison Legacy Foundation has launched its official website, www.morrisonlegacy.com.

The Morrison Legacy Foundation is proud to announce the launch of its official website, www.morrisonlegacy.com, dedicated to commemorating the 30th anniversary of the Morrison Visa Program. This landmark initiative, active from 1992 to 1995, granted approximately 45,000 visas, to immigrants from the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, profoundly influencing the Irish-American community.​

Former U.S. Rep. Bruce Morrison (D-New Haven) led the writing and passage of the Immigration Act of 1990, one of only two major immigration bills in American history to increase legal immigration. At the Institution for Social and Policy Studies last month, he drew on his experience and knowledge of Congress to describe how to overcome the current inability to produce new legislation addressing who can come to the United States and what to do with the millions of unauthorized people who are already here.

The Government has hired former U.S. Congressman Bruce Morrison's lobbying group to help with resolving the issue of undocumented Irish immigrants in America. Mr Morrison offered the services of his Morrison Public Affairs Group to prepare draft legislative language for a proposal to help Irish immigrants get work and travel rights in the US in return for reciprocal measures for Americans in Ireland.

Former US Congressman Bruce Morrison has been honoured at a ceremony in Dublin for his role in the Northern Ireland peace process. President Michael D Higgins attended the ceremony in honour of the former Congressman, and presented him with a 'Peace Builder' award on behalf of the New Jersey-based Drew University.

Former US Congressman Bruce Morrison has said he has no doubt that a deal on a new E3 visa scheme for Irish people to work in the US will happen, but said it was a question of when. Under the proposed new scheme, 10,500 people per year would be able to work legally in the USA as long as they get a job in advance of going there.

A decade ago RTÉ followed some of the 40,000 people who left for the US. Now it has gone back for an update, reports Róisín Ingle. Almost 10 years on people still remember the conflict on the couch. Thousands of miles from home, Aideen and Shahram Emdadian appeared on RTÉ television to talk about the changes in their lives five months after leaving Dublin for the US on a Morrison visa.