Boston Mayor Martin Walsh will head to Ireland on Thursday, kicking off a ten-day trip that will have him revisiting his roots in County Galway and appearing on a popular late night show.

Walsh, a Dorchester Democrat who served in the House for nearly 17 years before winning the 2013 mayoral election, will be joined by former Rep. Eugene O'Flaherty, who left his Judiciary Committee post earlier this year to join Walsh's administration as corporation counsel.

They are set to return on Monday, Sept. 29.

Walsh is not alone among public officials who are on the road. Gov. Deval Patrick and members of his Cabinet are in the midst of a trade trip to Denmark, France and the United Kingdom. Senate President Therese Murray and Sens. Stanley Rosenberg and Thomas Kennedy are on a trip to Ireland designed to forge relationships with local benefits.

The trip is his Walsh's first overseas venture as mayor of Boston. His inauguration in January drew officials from Ireland, including Galway County Mayor Liam Carroll and Galway Mayor Padraig Conneely.

Walsh is expected to arrive at Shannon Airport on Friday and breakfast with local elected officials and businesspeople there before traveling to Connemara, a Galway region that his parents hail from. He still has relatives in the area, which he frequently visited when he was younger.

Walsh plans to attend a late Saturday evening Mass in Rosmuc, the village his mother Mary was born in, and a mid-morning Mass on Sunday in Carna, where his late father was from, according to a tentative itinerary.

On Monday, Walsh plans to address the Galway County Council and meet with Mayor Donal Lyons. Tuesday could feature school visits in Carna and Rosmuc, and a visit to the Connemara Boxing Club.

Walsh will also spend time in Knock, Derry, and Belfast, with a visit planned for the Odyssey Arena, the home of the Belfast Giants hockey team.

On Saturday, Sept. 27, Walsh will be in Dublin for a live interview on the "Saturday Night Show" with Brendan O'Connor. The chat show will likely cover his Irish roots and foreign policy issues.

Walsh spokeswoman Kate Norton told the Reporter: "“The overall goal of this trip is to support Boston's economic development through building relationships and strengthening our commercial and cultural link with Ireland."

Journalists from the Boston Globe, the Dorchester Reporter and MassLive are set to join Walsh on the trip.
Follow Bill Forry, who will report on the mayor's trip, on Twitter: @DotNews.