The Last Word with Matt Cooper

On this week’s Culture Club, Will O’Callaghan was joined by Ian Leslie, author of the acclaimed book ‘John and Paul: A Love Story In Songs’.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear all his choices.

Charlie Weston, personal finance editor with the Irish Independent had some tips on how to manage costs when hiring a car abroad.Charlie also explained why an almost 50% increase in cattle prices could be passed on to the consumer in terms of food inflation.To catch the full conversation, press the play button on this page.

A study from the Anti-Bullying Centre at DUC has found that banning smartphones in schools has little or no impact on education, the wellbeing of students or online bullying.Dr Megan Reynolds, Postdoctoral Researcher at Dublin City University and Lead Author outlined the findings of the report.To catch the full conversation, press the play button on this page.

Kneecap rapper Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, who was charged with a terror offence in May by the Metropolitan Police, has been released on unconditional bail and will reappear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on August 20th.The 27-year-old, whose stage name is Mo Chara, is accused of displaying a flag in support of Hezbollah at a gig in November 2024.Emily Keegan, Today FM’s Multimedia Reporter, joined Will O’Callaghan to explain what happened in London on Wednesday.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the piece.

US President Donald Trump left a meeting of G7 leaders in Canada early after warning that "everyone should evacuate Tehran" as attacks between Israel and Iran continue to escalate. Marion McKeone and Larry Donnelly join The Last Word to discuss all of the latest news from the United States. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

New legislation introducing an opt-out system of consent for organ donation in Ireland has come into effect. Priscilla Lynch, clinical editor with the Medical Independent, and Joe O’Brien, executive director at the Irish Council for Civil Liberties, join The Last Word to discuss how this new system will work. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

The Club World Cup kicked off over the weekend and on Sunday, Bayern Munich hammered Auckland City 10-0.After gruelling domestic seasons and ever-increasing fixture schedules, is the appetite there – from both players and fans alike – for another major football tournament?Miguel Delaney, Chief Football Writer with The Independent, spoke to Will O’Callaghan on Monday.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the chat.

As the National Economic Dialogue took place in Dublin Castle, Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe warned of ‘dark clouds’ on Ireland’s economic horizon.Daniel McConnell, editor, Business Post and Owen Reidy, General Secretary of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions discussed concerns raised over Ireland’s reliance on corporation tax and the threats ahead to economic security.To catch the full conversation, press the ‘play’ button on this page.

Sinéad Kennedy, travel expert and host of Wellness Activity Breaks, joins The Last Word to talk all about her recent visit to Tunisia and why she thinks it the ideal trip for holidaymakers looking to explore beyond typical sun destinations.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Greta Thunberg and other activists on a Gaza-bound boat are deported by Israel, a Democratic US Senator is arrested and handcuffed at an immigration briefing in LA, and the Confirmation pledge gets a 21st century update.Author and journalist Aoife Barry and Eoghan Thomas McDermott, managing director at the Communications Clinic, join The Last Word to discuss the week's trending stories.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

In the Last Word on Business, Ian Guider, columnist with the Business Post, explained why EriGrid's chairman in a statement said nuclear power generation should be considered.To catch the full conversation, press the 'play' button on this page.

To mark the 200th episode of The Last Word’s environment slot, Matt conducted a Q&A with John Gibbons with all the queries coming from you, the listeners.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear all of John’s answers.

Manchán Magan joins The Last Word to discuss the forgotten presence of Irish monks, migrants and storytellers in Iceland and how the two island nations have more in common than is often remembered. He uncovers all of this in his latest book 'Ireland in Iceland: Gaelic Remnants in a Nordic Land'.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Andy O'Donoghue joins The Last Word to continue his review of the best home security equipment and this time he has tech for inside the home, including smoke alarms, water leak detectors and smart plugs.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Writer and actor Peter Hanly spoke to Matt about his upcoming play What Are You Afraid Of? A well known actor of stage, TV and film for many years, the play deals with Peter's experience of stage-fright and the impact on his career.Peter also discussed his favourite books, music, TV, film and more.To catch the full conversation, press the 'play' button on this page.

10 per cent of Irish households have a net wealth of more than €1 million while the bottom 10 per cent are worth less than €2,400, according to new figures from Central Statistics Office. Ian Guider, columnist with the Business Post, joins The Last Word to discuss this CSO data and more of the latest business news. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

According to research carried out by Raisin Bank, the average budget for a wedding in Ireland is between €10,000 and €20,000.It also found that 45% of those surveyed were willing to go into debt to cover the cost of the big day, with 1 in 4 couples spending up to €50,000.Charlie Weston, Personal Finance Editor with the Irish Independent, spoke to Matt on Wednesday.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the chat.

Sarah Slattery from travelexpert.ie joins The Last Word to talk through her top tips and accessories in order to have a five-star travel experience this summer.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

US President Donald Trump has ordered the deployment of the Marine Corps to Los Angeles as protests over immigration raids continue across the city. Marion McKeone and Larry Donnelly join The Last Word to discuss the escalating tensions in LA and more of the latest news from the US. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

AsIAm and PTSB have launched the 2025 Autism Friendly Towns Initiative, which asks villages, towns and cities around Ireland to become genuinely inclusive to autistic people in their communities.Adam Harris, Chief Executive of AsIAm, joined Matt on Tuesday to explain the initiative further and highlight how you can get involved.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation.

Cork put a stop to Limerick’s bid for 7 Munster titles in a row on Saturday night when they beat John Kiely’s side after extra time and penalties.Elsewhere, Kilkenny made it 6 titles in a row in Leinster as they overcame Galway at Croke Park on Sunday.Matt spoke to Off The Ball’s Will O’Callaghan and John McIntyre about the weekend’s action.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the piece.

Last week, TikTok blocked users from searching the term “#skinnytok”, after critics suggested it directs people towards content that “idolises extreme thinness”.The content associated with the hashtag included workout routines and what users eat in a day.But how effective will TikTok's move be, and should social media giants do more to prevent such trends developing?Rachel O’Dwyer, Writer and Lecturer in Digital Cultures at NCAD and Barry Murphy, Research and Policy Officer with BodyWhys, spoke to Matt on Monday.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation.

Conor Sheehan, Labour housing spokesperson and Pat Davitt, CEO, Institute of Professional Auctioneers and Valuers debate the use of rent pressures zones and proposals to remove rent caps.To listen to the full conversation, press the ‘play’ button on this page.

Week Trending: Trump V MuskLarry Donnelly, Law Lecturer at the University of Galway, and Sinead O’Carroll, Editor of thejournal.ie, discussed some of the biggest stories of the week including a guest Influencer at Leinster House who slagged off the Oireachtas food, Amazon testing humanoid delivery bots and planning exemptions for granny flats.As Trump V Musk has dominated the headlines, Marion McKeone kicked off the chat to explain how the feud between the US President and the Richest Man In The World exploded overnight, and what the rift could mean for both parties.To catch the full conversation, press the ‘play’ button on this page.

Freedom of information figures released to Sinn Féin TD Thomas Gould have found that 2,749 council homes are currently boarded up in Ireland.Matt spoke to Deputy Gould, alongside Seamus McGrath TD, Fianna Fail Spokesperson on Housing and Jude Sherry, Founder and Director of Anois, about the issue.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation.

Robert Delany. who was 27 when he was shot in 2008, suffered a catastrophic brain injury and has remained in a permanent life altering state ever since. However, for 17 years, the man who called for Robert to be killed continues to walk free.Stephen Breen, Irish Sun Crime Editor and contributor to the podcast and Terry Delany, the father of Robert Delany tell key insights into the investigation and outline the Delany family’s ongoing fight for justice.Hit the 'PLAY' button on this page to hear the discussion.

Andy O'Donoghue reviews the best in homes security from Ring Doorbells, outdoor security cameras, floodlights and smartlocks. To listen to the full conversation, press the 'play' button on this page.

There have been calls to ban industrial trawlers partaking in inshore fishing due to what’s been described by campaigners as “indiscriminate harvesting” of sprat fish off the coast of Cork.Environmental commentator John Gibbons spoke to Matt on Thursday’s The Last Word.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the chat.

US President Donald Trump has increased steel and aluminium tariffs to 50%, which came into effect at 8am Irish time on Wednesday.How is this decision going to impact Ireland’s economy, and the economy around the world?Brian Carey, Business Editor with the Sunday Times spoke to Matt on Wednesday’s business news.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation.

Ahead of her performance at the Glucksman Gallery in Cork as part of the Cork Midsummer Festival, artist and sign language interpreter Amanda Coogan spoke to Matt about her cultural influences.To catch the full conversation, press the 'play' button on this page.

Richard Satchwell, who was found guilty of the murder of his wife Tina last Friday by unanimous verdict, was sentenced to life in prison on Wednesday.Ms. Satchwell’s sister Lorraine Howard told the court that Mr. Satchwell “put us as a family though the ultimate hell of not knowing what had happened to Tina for years”.Jamie O’Hara, Today FM’s Court Reporter, spoke to Matt on Wednesday’s programme.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation.

Elon Musk has denied that he engaged in heavy ketamine consumption while working as one of Donald Trump’s advisers on the presidential campaign last year, following a report in the New York Times in recent days.Marion McKeone and Larry Donnelly, Law Lecturer at University of Galway & Columnist with TheJournal.ie, spoke to Matt on Tuesday’s US slot.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation.

The Nakba, also known as 'Catastrophe', occurred between 1947 and 1949, and saw 15,000 Palestinians killed and more than 700,000 displaced from their homes by Israel. On Tuesday, Matt was joined by author Fintan Drury to discuss his new book ‘Catastrophe: Nakba II’.The book is an analysis of the oppression that Palestinians have faced for decades, and argues that Israel’s retaliation to the Hamas attack in October 2023 has been disproportionate.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation.

An Irish MEP used AI to write a letter about Gaza which quoted Swedish House Mafia. Why are we seeing more bad behaviour at airports? Should smoking be banned in parks and on beaches?Sarah McGuinness, political correspondent with the Irish Daily Mail, and Dave Hanratty, host of the No Encore podcast, join The Last Word to discuss the week's trending stories.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

On Friday, Richard Satchwell was found guilty of the murder of his wife Tina Satchwell in 2017.Ms. Satchwell’s skeletal remains were found in their home in October 2023. Mr. Satchwell had pleaded not guilty to murdering her at Grattan Street, Youghal, Co. Cork in March 2017.Jamie O’Hara, Today FM Court Reporter and Brenda Power, columnist with the Irish Daily Mail and the Sunday Times, spoke to Matt after the verdict.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the piece.

Political journalist Gavan Reilly joins The Last Word to chat all about how Irish politics really works, as outlined in his new book 'The Secret Life of Leinster House'. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button!

Irish company Brightflag, which uses artificial intelligence to help legal firms manage their finances, has been sold.Founded by Ian Nolan and Alex Kelly, it has been sold for €425m cash.Ian Guider, columnist with the Business Post, joined Matt on The Last Word.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the chat.

Environmental groups have raised concerns about plans to lower the environmental standards of hundreds of rivers across Ireland.This would mean that over 400 stretches of water would be classified as “heavily modified water bodies”John Gibbons explained the significance of this on Thursday.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the chat.

Writer Andrew Meehan, author of Best Friends, joins The Last Word for the Culture Club. Hear all about his favourite music, movies, tv shows and more by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

The Trump administration has suspended new visa applications for foreign students to give US embassies around the world more time to vet applicants and also prepare to carry out deeper checks on their social media history.Larry Donnelly, law lecturer at the University of Galway, and Chris Clifford, president of AMLÉ, the union of students in Ireland, join The Last Word to discuss this latest news and what it could mean for Irish students heading to the US. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Donald Trump is considering imposing further sanctions on Russia as it continues its large scale attack on Ukraine.The US President's relationship with Russian leader Vladimir Putin appears to have soured with Trump saying that the Russian president has 'gone absolutely crazy'.Cal Thomas and Marion McKeone join The Last Word to discuss Trump's changing attitude toward Putin and more of the latest news from the United States.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Lorraine Keane was one of the first women to break the taboo around discussing perimenopause and menopause in Ireland.She joins The Last Word to discuss why she feels it is so important for women to talk to their family and friends about the changes they are going through.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

The Premier League season concluded on Sunday amid huge celebrations at Anfield after Liverpool were crowned champions.With Arsenal securing their place in next year’s Champions League last weekend, several teams were battling it out to make the final 3 spots.In the end, there were few surprises as Man City, Chelsea and Newcastle all qualified for Europe’s biggest competition for 2025/2026.Miguel Delaney, Chief Football Writer with The Independent and Off The Ball’s Will O’Callaghan spoke to Matt on The Last Word.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear their chat.

Sarah Slattery from the travelexpert.ie joins The Last Word to chat about all of the best things to see and do in Las Vegas. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Bono: Stories Of Surrender is set for release on Apple TV+ this Friday, May 30th.  Directed by Andrew Dominik, the documentary received a seven-minute long standing ovation at the Cannes film festival.Joe O’Shea and Elaine Burke talked to Matt on The Last Word on TV & Streaming.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the chat.

'La-Z-Boy' recliner among requests for TD's Leinster House office; controversial robot trees are removed from Cork City; and Government signs off on plans to celebrate Ireland's Norman history. Lorcan Nyhan, head of training at the Communications Clinic, and Laura Byrne, voices editor and podcast producer with The Journal.ie, join The Last Word to discuss all of the week's trending stories.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

The latest cost estimate for building Dublin’s Metrolink was approximately €23 billion. However, could that figure now be too low?Work is set to start in 2026, with its completion estimated to be in the mid-2030s.Dr. Sean Sweeney, Programme Director of Metrolink spoke to Matt on The Last Word.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation.

Wallet trackers, power banks and UV scanners, Andy O'Donoghue had a run down of the best travel tech to make planned summer trips as easy as possible.To catch the full conversation, press the play button on this page.

On Wednesday, US President Donald Trump accused South Africa of committing white genocide as the country’s president Cyril Ramaphosa visited the White House.Meanwhile, two Israeli embassy staff were shot dead as they left an event at the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington DC on Wednesday night.Marion McKeone and Larry Donnelly, Law Lecturer at University of Galway & Columnist with TheJournal.ie, spoke to Matt on Thursday.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear their conversation.

The Irish Postmasters’ Union has warned that without funding of €15 million per year for the next five years, post offices around the country face “rapid, unrestrained closures”.Ian Guider, Columnist with the Business Post, joined Matt for Wednesday’s business news.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation.