The Last Word with Matt Cooper

Author Pat McCabe was this week’s entry into the Culture Club as he celebrated the release of his new book ‘Golden Glove’.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear all his choices.

Earlier this week, a report by Daft.ie found that the average rent in Ireland has now exceeded €2,000 a month, which is almost 50% higher than it was before the Covid-19 pandemic.This, along with high insurance premiums, increasing TV and broadband prices, and the cost of nights out also rising means that low to mid-range earners have less and less disposable income available every month.Charlie Weston, Personal Finance Editor with the Irish Independent and Sarah McGuinness, Political Correspondent with the Irish Daily Mail joined Matt for an extended personal finance slot on Wednesday to discuss the financial difficulties that young people face today.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation.

In 2018, author Jeanine Cummins published her novel American Dirt to a fanfare of praise and expectation. It didn't take long for online opinion to turn on the author.The author was accused of cultural appropriation and misrepresentation of Latino cultures. Despite the criticism, American Dirt was a bestseller. Jeanine Cummins spoke to Matt about over coming being cancelled, her Irish and Puerto Rican roots, and her new novel, Speak To Me Of Home.To catch the full conversation, press the play button on this page.

Cal Thomas, nationally syndicated columnist, and US Correspondent with The Business Post, Marion McKeone, join Matt the go through all the latest in US politics.With Joe Biden being diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer, and the Russia-Ukraine peace talks taking place – this week has been more than eventful in the White House.Listen here to get all the latest.

The All-Ireland Gaelic football championship sprung to life at the weekend as Dublin reminded everyone of their credentials by beating an in-form Galway side by a point at Pearse Stadium, Kerry had a comfortable win against Roscommon, and Cavan earned a superb win over Mayo in MacHale Park to put Kevin McStay’s side on the back foot for their remaining fixtures.In hurling, Limerick stormed to a 16-point victory over league champions Cork, while Tipperary confirmed their place in the knockout rounds by beating Waterford at Semple Stadium.To discuss the weekend’s football, Matt was joined by former Roscommon footballer Paul Earley and Galway’s Ray Silke, while former Limerick hurler Joe Quaid and former Tipperary manager Michael Ryan covered Sunday’s action.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the piece.

Joe O’Shea, Editor at Cork Beo, and Today FM’s own Alison Healy are here to give all the latest in this week’s TV and Streaming news.A curious Eurovision saw Ireland gave Israel the maximum 12 points in Eurovision semi-final and 10 points in the final, raising some eyebrows in the country.Everybody’s talking about the Netflix documentary covering the murder of Jason Corbett, A Deadly American Marriage, and the guys also get in their Picks of the Week.Listen here to get all the best conversation on this week’s TV and streaming.

David French, brother of Valerie French Kilroy who was murdered by her husband James, outlines his family's campaign to have the parental rights curbed for those who kill their spouses. David remembers his sister Valerie and writes about the aftermath of her murder in his book, For Valerie.

New figures released by the Banking and Payments Federation Ireland have shown that in the final quarter of 2024, almost €200m was borrowed to fund car purchases.Loans for home improvement projects also hit highs never seen before.However, given the current economic climate, should borrowers exercise more caution when deciding to take out a loan?Matt spoke to Charlie Weston, Personal Finance Editor with the Irish Independent and independent economist Austin Hughes about this on The Last Word.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation.

People who live near golf courses are more likely to develop Parkinson’s disease, due to pesticides used on the lawns.That’s according to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, which looked at data from 27 counties in Wisconsin and Minnesota.John Gibbons joined Matt for Thursday’s environment slot.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation.

As the US PGA gets into full swing, Andy O'Donoghue joins The Last Word to talk about all the best new golf tech.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Conductor David Brophy joins The Last Word for the Culture Club!Hear all of his favourite musical and cultural picks by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Goldman Sachs’s is considering launching its online retail bank Marcus in Ireland, a move that could give Wall Street access to billions of euros in deposits from domestic households.Ian Guider, columnist with the Business Post, joins The Last Word to discuss how the banking giant could shake up the Irish market and more of the latest business news.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

A new report from UNICEF has found that Irish teenagers are among the least happy in high-income countries despite leading in academic performance.Aibhlín O’Leary, head of advocacy with UNICEF, and Dr Colman Noctor, child and adolescent psychotherapist, join The Last Word to discuss why teenagers in Ireland are less happy and what can be done to help them.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

A survey by Laya Life has found that raising a child in Ireland now costs €15,000 per year, which is an increase of almost 40% in the last 10 years.The first year of the child’s life and teen years have been found to be the most expensive, with the cost of pocket money increasing by 86% since 2015 to an average of €1,196 per year.Charlie Weston, Personal Finance Editor with the Irish Independent, spoke to Matt on The Last Word.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the chat.

US President Donald Trump has claimed it would be "stupid" not to accept the gift of a free Qatari plane, described as a "palace in the sky", to replace Air Force One.There has been much criticism of Trump's plan to accept the gift, even amongst his MAGA supporters. Cal Thomas and Marion McKeone join The Last Word to discuss this and more of the latest news from the US.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Jacqueline Connolly, author of Deadly Silence, joins The Last Word to talk about her quest for justice for her sister Clodagh Hawe and her three nephews who were murdered by Alan Hawe in 2016.She explained why she wants the review into the investigation of their murders to be published.Listen back to the full conversation by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

The Vintners Federation of Ireland is calling on the government to introduce a 40% tax rebate in excise on pints of draught beer sold in pubs.The association said the move would be helpful for rural pubs who are struggling with increasing costs.Pat Crotty, Chief Executive of the Vintners Federation of Ireland and Sheila Gilheany, Chief Executive of Alcohol Action Ireland, spoke to Matt about this on Tuesday’s The Last Word.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the chat.

The future of the provincial football finals has been a source of debate in recent years due to Dublin’s dominance in Leinster and Kerry’s in Munster.But after Donegal won back-to-back Ulster titles and Louth were crowned Leinster champions for the first time in 68 years, along with a hugely entertaining Connacht final between Mayo and Galway last weekend, have the new rules breathed life into the provincial championships?Michael Foley, Sportswriter with The Sunday Times and former All-Ireland winning captain Ray Silke, spoke to Matt about this on Monday.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear their chat.

Earlier this year, Samantha Cookes was sentenced to three years in prison for multiple counts of theft and deception. She was found to have posed under numerous fake identities and convinced people she was a victim of discrimination due to her diagnosis of Huntington’s disease.‘Bad Nanny’, a new two-part documentary on RTÉ One, hears from victims who were conned by Cookes across Ireland and the UK.Alan Bradley, director of Bad Nanny and one of Cookes’ victims, Lynn McDonald, joined Matt on The Last Word.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation.

Sarah Slattery from the travelexpert.ie joins The Last Word to chat all about her recent trip to Utah in the United States.Listen back by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Leo XIV becomes the first North American pope; RTÉ demands 'discussion' on Israel's participation in the Eurovision Song Contest; and Tánaiste Simon Harris calls for a social media ban for children under the age of 16.Joe O’Shea, editor of Cork Beo, and Jennifer Horgan, Irish Examiner Columnist and secondary school teacher, join The Last Word to discuss the week's trending stories.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Irish film director Lorcan Finnegan spoke to Matt about working with Nicolas Cage for his new film, the Australian set, psychodrama, The Surfer. To catch the full conversation, press the 'play' button on this page.

Andy O'Donoghue previewed the best e-readers and audiobook apps for every price point!To catch the full conversation, press the 'play' button on this page.

More families are now buying own-brand products and shopping in discount stores in order to reduce the costs of the weekly grocery shop.According to figures from EY, more than half of Irish households said that price is a significant factor when deciding what to buy, and nearly half said that they use discount stores to reduce spending.Charlie Weston, Personal Finance Editor with the Irish Independent, joined Matt on The Last Word.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the chat.

‘Zombie’ traffic lights are to be installed on Tara Street in Dublin City in a bid to get people who are distracted by looking at their mobile phones to pay attention to oncoming traffic.Is this a good idea, or an indication that we’ve become too dependent on our devices?Adrian Weckler, Tech Editor at the Irish & Sunday Independent and Aoife Barry, author of Social Capital, spoke to Matt on Wednesday’s The Last Word.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation.

DJ and producer Mark McCabe is the latest inductee into the Culture Club.He joined Matt to talk about ‘Maniac 2000 (25th Anniversary Edition)’, which was released last Friday.Hit the ‘Play’ button to hear his choices.

RTÉ has asked the European Broadcasting Union for a discussion on Israel's inclusion in the Eurovision Song Contest that takes place later this month due to the ongoing war in Gaza.Johnny Fallon, strategy director at Carr Communications and Eurovision enthusiast, joins The Last Word to discuss the likelihood of Israel being excluded from the contest.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

On Saturday, the Dublin and Kilkenny camogie teams took to the field wearing shorts ahead of their Leinster semi-final fixture, in protest against a rule which requires them to wear skorts during matches. Having been told by the referee that the game wouldn’t go ahead if they didn’t comply with the rules, they subsequently changed into skorts.The move followed research published by the GPA which found that 70% of 650 intercounty players said they experienced discomfort wearing skorts, while 83% said they should be given the option to choose.Sinead O’Carroll, Editor of TheJournal.ie, spoke to Matt about the issue.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear their conversation.

US President Donald Trump has threatened to slap 100% tariffs on movies coming into the US that are "produced in foreign lands" in a statement that has alarmed the industry.Brian Carey, Sunday Times' business editor, joins The Last Word to discuss how this could impact Ireland's significant film industry.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has met with United States President Donald Trump at the White House as he looks to reset the US-Canada relationship following months of turmoil between the neighbouring countries.Cal Thomas, nationally syndicated US columnist, and journalist Marion McKeone join The Last Word to discuss this significant meeting and more of the latest news from the US.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

The Government's plan to set up a new office to speed up home delivery has snowballed into a major issue, all while it is still scrambling to find ways to address Ireland's housing crisis.Tabitha Monahan, political reporter with the Irish Independent, and Daniel McConnell, editor of the Business Post, join The Last Word to explain this latest controversy and discuss whether it has exposed cracks in coalition relationships.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

The number of women emigrating from Ireland has jumped 56% since the pandemic, according to a report by the Department of Enterprise.The figures also show that young women are emigrating at a much higher level than young menSarah McGuinness, political correspondent with the Irish Daily Mail, and Labour Senator Laura Harmon join The Last Word to discuss why so many are making the decision to leave Ireland. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Sunday and Irish Independent sports columnist Eamonn Sweeney has released his latest book “The Last Ditch: How One GAA Championship Gave A Sportswriter Back His Life”.It details how, in 2000, Eamonn developed a crippling phobia of travelling, which led to extreme panic attacks and resulted him living a solitary life in West Cork.However, he was given the opportunity to write about the 2024 GAA championship and knew that if he were to take on the project, he would have to overcome his fears once and for all.Eamonn joined Matt in studio to talk about his experience and his road to recovery.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the chat.

Andy O'Donoghue joins The Last Word to talk through all the best new tech for outdoor activities. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Writer Louise Hegarty is the latest inductee to the Culture Club. Following the release of the her debut novel Fair Play, a classic murder mystery with a twist, Louise joins The Last Word to discuss her favourite music, books and more. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

The government has defended plans which could see chief executives of commercial semi-state bodies in line for pay increases worth tens of thousands of euro.This decision has come under criticism from members of the opposition, with the Social Democrats’ Cian O’Callaghan saying there was a “double standard” when compared with lower-paid workers.Brian Carey, Business Editor at The Sunday Times explained the significance of this on Wednesday’s The Last Word.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear their chat.

Charlie Weston, personal finance editor, Irish Independent, spoke to Matt about the implications of the carbon tax increases and also how a higher BER adds value to second-hand homes, and the cost of upgrading homes.To catch the full conversation, press the play button on this page.

Kneecap continue to face backlash after videos from their shows resurfaced where members of the group appear to call for Conservative MPs to be killed and shout “up Hamas, up Hezbollah”.Dee Reddy and John Caddell join The Last Word to discuss the Irish language rap trio’s track record of courting controversy and more of the latest music news.Catch the full chat by pressing the ‘Play’ button on this page!

Global tariffs, negotiating peace in Ukraine and an immigration crackdown are just some of the many moves made by US President Donald Trump since he returned to the White House.Cal Thomas, nationally syndicated US columnist, and Larry Donnelly, law lecturer at University of Galway & columnist with The Journal join The Last Word to assess Trump's first 100 days in office.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Meath and Louth will contest this year’s Leinster Senior Football Final after the Royals beat Dublin at O’Moore Park in Portlaoise on Sunday.This will be the first time since 2010 that Dublin are not in the decider. Instead, Meath will face Louth after they beat Kildare on Saturday.Former Kildare footballer Johnny Doyle and Will O’Callaghan from Off The Ball spoke to Matt about the weekend’s results.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the chat.

Tom Fitzgerald, Unite Regional Coordinating officer, and Neil McDonnell, ISME Chief Executive join Matt to discuss trade union Unite's call for Climate Leave in the event of extreme weather.Unite is seeking a meeting with the Minister for Enterprise to bring their requests into the conversation for future legislation.Listen here.

Seville is a city of incredible architecture, amazing food and colourful flamenco dancing. Sinead Kennedy, host of wellness activity breaks and travel expert, joins The Last Word to talk about the best sites and activities in the southern Spanish city.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Michael Dowling, managing director of Michael Dowling Mortgage and Financial Services, and Brendan Burgess, founder of askaboutmoney.com, speculate on the new mortgage product from Revolut and how it might impact the market.To catch the full conversation, press the play button on this page.

Belfast/Derry trio Kneecap have been criticised for pro-Palestinian chants during their Coachella sets, with TV personality Sharon Osbourne urging US authorities to revoke their visas.Given how outspoken they’ve been about political issues in the past, should we be surprised by the move? Furthermore, should we be more encouraging to artists and celebrities to express their views on world events?Dave Hanratty, host of the No Encore podcast, joined Matt to discuss this.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation.

Tributes have been paid to Pope Francis, whose death was announced on Monday morning.UN climate official Simon Stiell said that the Pope was “a towering figure of human dignity, and an unflinching global champion of climate action as a vital means to deliver it”.Environmental commentator John Gibbons spoke to Matt about this.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the chat.

Andy Donoghue has his top garden gadget picks from watering systems, to lawnmowers, plant sensors, outdoor lighting and outdoor sockets.To catch the full conversation, press the play button on this page.

Will Sliney, comic book artist and creator of Draw With Will, talks to Matt about his favourite music, film, TV, books and other cultural touchstones that have influenced his life and work.To catch the full conversation, press the play button on this page.

Intel will announce plans to cut more than 20 per cent of its staff this week as part of a bid to streamline operations, according to Bloomberg news. The global tech giant employs over 5,000 people across Ireland.Ian Guider, columnist with the Business Post, joins The Last Word to discuss the future of Intel and to run through more of the latest business news.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Insurers are cutting benefits on health plans as they hike the price of premiums, meaning that customers are now getting less value for their money.Meanwhile, the government’s take from taxes on home energy and motor fuels has topped €4bn for the first time, with Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín TD accusing the government of “cashing in” on the cost-of-living crisis.Charlie Weston, Personal Finance Editor at the Irish Independent spoke to Matt on Wednesday’s The Last Word.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation.

US President Donald Trump has confirmed that he and his wife, First Lady Melania Trump, will attend Pope Francis’s funeral at The Vatican on Saturday.Pope Francis had previously been critical of President Trump’s views on immigration, describing the program of mass deportations as a “major crisis”.Nationally syndicated columnist, Cal Thomas, and Larry Donnelly, Law Lecturer at University of Galway & Columnist with TheJournal.ie spoke to Matt about this on Tuesday.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation.