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 forty languages, including Giamon, Klingon, Romulan, and Stroyerian. He had a knack for instantly learning and interpreting any spoken language. (TNG: "The Icarus Factor")