The message — a little indelicate but certainly to the point — declared: “Feck your water charges Enda!!!!!!!”

The six friends — Darren Sheridan, Odhran Kealey, Shane Kelly, from Offaly, Mayo man Brian O’Malley, and Padraig Dignan and Michael Walsh from Kerry — posed in front of the message as it flashed onto the electronic sign over American Eagle Outfitters on Sunday night.

They tweeted about their exploits a couple of days later. And by yesterday the lads had decamped to San Diego on the west coast as they continue their two-week jaunt across the US.

All six friends are in their 20s and plan to travel up the coast and on to Las Vegas before finishing in Austin, Texas, for the Formula 1 American Grand Prix.

Odhran Kealey said the message was “only lighthearted”, but in a revelation that is sure to shock Taoiseach Enda Kenny to the core, said it was Mayo native Brian O’Malley who was the driving force.

“It was collective [the decision], but it was mostly Brian O’Malley,” he said.

“American Eagle Outfitters have a shop on Time Square and if you buy items of clothing you get the option to get a picture up on Time Square.

“It flashes up for about 15 seconds and it goes on a reel and goes up twice or three times.”

It seems Brian splashed out on clothing to the tune of $300, and so probably felt entitled to post a message to the people of Manhattan.