Farewell O'Flaherty's!

O'Flaherty's Pub was one of the first bars I truly called my own when I moved to NYC in 1994. It was in the heart of Hell's Kitchen located on 46th St. between 8th and 9th Aves. I always felt at home there. 

Alas, it is no more. On Sunday, October 13th, I was celebrating the end of New York Comic Con by throwing my annual Dead Dog Bash at a local bar. As the party starting winding down, my best pal John and I left to go to another spot. As we did, he mentioned it was O'Flaherty's last night open. I had heard someone mention something about the pub a few days earlier but wasn't paying attention. Now I knew. I was in a bit of shock. I told John I was going to head over there just to see what was up. 

As I walked in, I looked around and saw all of the familiar settings. The fireplace, the books on the wall, the couches, the dessert case, the scotch wall and more. I did my last "O'Flaherty's walkabout". The bar is shaped like a horseshoe so whenever I went in, I would just walk around it to see whom was present. I saw a few familiar faces from old regulars to the bartenders I knew. A flood of memories hit me. 

• I remembered meeting a Miss America contestant when I was sitting at a particular table whom came over and actually hit on me. (Shut up. It was in my younger/hotter days. I think we went out a few times.)
• I almost got in a fight with some guy whom had become a regular (though I hadn't been there in ages at the time) because he was hitting on a female friend of mine. Another regular helped to break it up. The fightee and I ended up seeing each other there for quite while after and it was all good. 
• There was one regular who could never get my fucking name right. We'd see each other there for years and chatted on occasion but he was always drunk and kept calling me Tony even after I repeatedly corrected him. 
• I picked up a friend's friend there as we drunkenly made out on the couches. Much to my friend's dismay. 
• The scotch wall was the one to the far right of the bar. Each week, we'd go in there and have a different one and eventually drinking the whole wall. 
• It was one of the few after hours spots that I could count on. I've stayed there til 8am at some points. You'd show up, rap on the window and if they knew you...you'd get in. Over the years, it became less exclusive and I didn't like it as much but it still had the great after hours flavor. 
• I had a birthday or two there over the years. Other birthdays usually had us ending up there after all of the birthday celebrations. 
• Good ol' bartender Nelson was a fixture for years until his unfortunate death some years back. There was a big heart underneath all that grump and we all loved him for it. 
• I dated a couple of girls that worked there back in the day. Both Irish. Go figure. 
• A couple of years ago after New York Comic Con, I took some of my comic book folks there for some late night drinks. And we had empanadas delivered. Something my friend Jen still talks about to this day. 
• I played more pool and darts there than any other place in the world. 
• For those in the know, there were several bathrooms strewn about the place. The 2 in the front. One on the right side. And the hidden ones downstairs. 
• I once got busy in a Burger King bathroom. And i don't mean BK. You get my drift. (Dirty, naughty boy...I know. I was young!)
• Any time I had a group and we sat at the tables near the fireplace, I would always forget that leaning back would cause me to bump my head into the shelving that jutted out. I'll miss getting those bumps now!
• I never really ate there much but when I did, it was good bar food. 
• While I was often there when it was really crowded, I really enjoyed the times when it was slower where I could chill and chat with Joe the bartender and my friends. 
• Back in my acting days, friends and I would meet there and go over lines or audition pieces while having a few drinks. 
• I love watching big games in a bar with friends. But I loved that O'Flaherty's was not a sports pub. It had a TV in the back and that was it. It was a neighborhood spot to hang. 
• It had so many weird little knick knacks all over. I regret not asking for one on the last night. There was a headless man thingy that I wanted! 

So many more memories! I hadn't been as much of a regular over the past 6 years when I moved out of the neighborhood. But I did get to know the new crew when I came in on occasion. Good ol' Joe is always there behind the bar and has been for years. Love that guy. I miss chatting with some of the bartenders from back in the 90's/early 00's. It was always the go to spot that friends would meet to either start an evening or end one. You'll be missed O'Flats. Thanks for giving me a second home when I was out. 

The famous ever-changing scotch wall