Commander Flaherty was a Starfleet officer in the 24th Century. In 2365, he was the first officer aboard the USS Aries.

When Captain Jean-Luc Picard met with him earlier, Flaherty was fluent in more than 40 languages, including Giamon, Klingon, Romulan and Stroyerian. He had a knack for instantly learning and interpreting any spoken language. (TNG: "The Icarus Factor")