‘Obama Girls Not Impressed with Summer Vacation?’

Most Irish commentators celebrated the short – but apparently sweet – trip by US First Lady Michelle Obama and her daughters Malia and Sasha. But the American press saw the Obamas' Irish experience as rather stale.

The nation's top morning show Good Morning America featured a piece on Tuesday entitled, "Obama Girls Not Impressed with Summer Vacation?". Reporter Linsey Davis described how the president's daughters got "bored of history" while images of Malia with crossed eyes and looking less than enthused lit up the screen. "I think it was just all in good fun," Ms Davis said later. "We simply found the crossed eyes and blank stares at times humorous."

Several other media poked fun at their boredom, while conservative press such as the Washington Times and Newsmax focused on the cost of the trip pointing out that Mrs Obama had stayed in a "$3,300 per night" suite at the Shelbourne hotel.

"The estimated cost of the two-day trip to Ireland and Northern Ireland is approximately $5 million, with the bill being footed by US taxpayers," Newsmax wrote.

Niall O’Dowd, the founder of America’s largest Irish press network Irish Central, said: “I think it’s funny that they’re probably more bored than the president. I would have got them a meeting with the Irish guy from One Direction! Now that would have been exciting for them.”