A
Champion of Irish Culture in Louisiana
Biographies
Press Release:
A Night in Gealic
Danny
and Patrick O'Flaherty
Danny
O'Flaherty
Probably
the best-known Irishman in the Louisiana, Danny O'Flaherty
has been a central figure of Celtic culture in the American
South since his arrival in the United States more than three
decades ago. As a world acclaimed Irish balladeer, O'Flaherty
has appeared on all major American networks (ABC, CBS, NBC,
CNN, and PBS), performed at President Reagan's Inaugural Ball
and before Pope John Paul II at the National Cathedral, and
has recorded numerous CDs. As a man totally enmeshed in the
preservation of Irish/Celtic culture, O'Flaherty is comfortable
in every modern electronic medium. However, it wasn't always
like that.
 Growing up in Ireland
As
a youth in Connemara, in western Ireland's County Galway,
Danny and his brother Patrick
lived a truly pastoral life. "When I was growing up in
Connemara in the 1950's," says O'Flaherty, "things were
much different than they are today. My parish was what you
would call 'very rural', and we didn't have what the rest
of the world would call modern conveniences. The main reason
is that until the early 1960s, houses in Connemara didn't
have electricity. My home was a land of what travel agents
would call 'quaint fishing villages and rustic cottages',
and there wasn't any pre-made entertainment. We had no television,
no radio, and an automobile was a rare site. Now a modern
American might hear this and think, 'There was nothing to
do.' But our homes were full of song and laughter, love and
life, and after the work was done, there was always plenty
to do.
"In
Connemara, we would spend no small amount of time figuring
out which house we would go visit in the evenings; we called
it 'courtin'. Some houses were better courtin' than others,
and everyone would come together for singing and dancing.
Of course, anyone who didn't play an instrument danced, and
those who could play an instrument were highly sought after
and revered. The songs were much longer than they are today.
An old Celtic ballad might have 45 verses and last even
an hour or more. Often we would make up a song and everyone
in the room would add his or her own verse to the song. We
would think all day about what our verse would be and spend
every spare moment composing it. The village news was often
told through verses in the songs, and surreptitious love affairs
among young folk would be hinted at by disguising the names
of the two lovers. These ceili or nights
of song and dance drew in everyone, young and old, from the
toddlin' babes to the gray-haired great-grandparents. We were
a community of families, with bonds of blood and love, making
us stronger than anything the outside world could throw against
us."
The
Louisiana Connection
Danny
O'Flaherty grew up to become a talented musician with a handsome
voice. A musical chameleon, he mastered not only the six and
twelve string guitar, but also the  button
accordion, tin whistle, flute, and harmonica. His musical
abilities caught the eyes of local Irish pub owners, who encouraged
O'Flaherty to immigrate to New Orleans. Once here, it didn't
take him long to catch onto the local culture. Although French
and Spanish architecture dominate the pre-American history
of New Orleans, the city has a rich Irish history, and has
had a large percentage of its population from Gaelic Britain
since the early 1800s. O'Flaherty saw New Orleans as fertile
soil for American Celtic culture.
Around
the time of the world's fair, he opened O'Flaherty's
Irish Channel Centre with his brother Patrick
in the New Orleans French Quarter. Although maintaining
a busy concert schedule, O'Flaherty spends much of his time
performing in his local pub/music hall. He lives in New Orleans
with his American-born wife and has two children.
Celtic
Culturalist
 For
the last 30 years O'Flaherty has been a main promoter of and
strong force in Southern American Celtic culture. His boundless
energy on stage is matched by his untiring efforts to popularize
and preserve the Celtic heritage of Irish Americans. In addition
to a busy concert schedule and his obligations as owner of
O'Flaherty's
Irish Channel Centre , he supports local Irish and Scottish
dancing groups, who often have their ceili, or dancing presentations,
at Danny's pub.
In
addition, O'Flaherty annually guides those of Gaelic descent
and other interested parties back to Ireland for his popular
O'Flaherty Tours and guides a well-attended Celtic Caribbean
cruise trip. He helped organize the Celtic Nations Heritage
Festival, and is the founder and has served as president of
the nonprofit Celtic Nations Heritage Foundation ( www.celticnationsworld.com
).
He
regularly invites Gaelic singers from all over the world to
perform in his pub, and is well connected with Gaelic and
Irish university scholars throughout Louisiana and the southern
United States.
If
that isn't enough, "Professor" O'Flaherty holds weekly class
for a collection of students studying the Gaelic language.
"It's a beautiful language," says O'Flaherty, "and
it's the heritage of all Celtic nations people. To be able
to speak and sing and think and breathe Gaelic is a privilege,
a freedom , that our beloved ancestors lived for,
fought for, and died for. There's no reason why Celtic people,
both in Ireland and here in America, can't know, cherish,
and preserve our sacred ancient language. Gaelic is in our
hearts, our souls. it permeates our being. It's our DNA."
One
student says of O'Flaherty, "Calling Danny a talented Irish
ballad singer is like saying Dylan Thomas was handy with a
rhyme. He's so much more than that."
O'Flaherty's
Irish Channel Centre
 Located
on Toulouse Street in the heart of the New Orleans French
quarter, O'Flaherty's Irish Channel Centre & Pub has been
a Mecca for those interested in Celtic culture for nearly
15 years. With its international tourists clientele, this
expansive Centre attracts visitors from New Orleans as well
as Europe and Asia. The Centre boasts several rooms, including
the famous Ballad Room, venue for world-class Celtic performers
and up and coming stars. The Informer pub is a casual place
for music and Irish dancing, and is frequented by Irish step
dancers, both local and international. Tara's Courtyard is
a romantic French quarter garden used for outdoor concerts
and weddings. The Dun Aengus hideaway lounge on the second
floor with it's low beamed ceiling and it's cozy sofa's make
it an ideal lovers retreat. With it's arched window view of
Tara's Courtyard and a gallery, yet secluded view of the ballad
room, a place where a couple can be one and yet, be part of
the happenings. The Celtic Gift Shop is a gold mine for those
looking for authentic Celtic gifts.
Patrick
O'Flaherty
 Not
originally immigrating to New Orleans with his brother Danny,
Patrick O'Flaherty joined his brother, moving from the islands
to the United States, helping him to open O'Flaherty's
Irish Channel Centre and Pub. The Patrick is also a talented
multi-instrumentalist who began his musical career playing
the harmonica as a young boy in Connemara on the rugged West
Coast of Ireland. He is part of that select group of people
whose native language is Gaelic. Today he is acknowledged
as one of the truly fine practitioners of Irish mandolin and
harmonica. He is also a highly respected player of the button
accordion and banjo. Patrick is one of the few composers
today writing original songs in Gaelic. His professional
music career has spanned nearly three decades.
During
this time he performed with two excellent bands, The Celtic
Folk and The Poor Clares, whose second album, "Change
of Habit," reached the national charts. He has played
in a multitude of venues and has won numerous awards. (Further
details on this may be found on his website www.poflaherty.com/biography.htm
).
Today,
Patrick lives in Alexandria, Virginia where he performs locally
when he is not touring. He performs as a solo act and, occasionally,
with the Poor Clares and the Celtic Folk music groups.
When
interacting with his younger sibling in A
Night in Gaelic , Patrick
casts a spell over the audience with his haunting and then
raucous virtuoso mandolin performance and then charms the
audience by playing the straight man, who teasingly deadpans
comical lines in Gaelic which are all the more hilarious when
translated into English after a slight delay by brother Danny.
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