The Last Word with Matt Cooper

Following the death of Pope Francis, Redemptorist priest Tony Flannery, theologian Gina Menzies and catholic commentator Breda O'Brien join The Last Word to discuss the legacy he has left behind.Catch the full discussion by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Dublin's four local authorities are developing plans for a new tourist tax in the capital which they say could help fund the upkeep of the city.A working group is due to be set up later this year to consider the proposal.Sinn Féin councillor on Dublin City Council Séamus McGrattan and Paul Gallagher, chief executive of the Irish Hotels Federation, join The Last Word to discuss the potential for an additional charge for tourists staying in Dublin.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Andy O'Donoghue reviews the best and more affordable smartphones on the market from Google, Samsung and Oneplus.

A new report from the Mental Health Commission has said that there is an urgent need to improve mental health services at emergency departments and that steps should be taken to make access to care easier.Professor Jim Lucey, Inspector of Mental Health Services at the Mental Health Commission, spoke to Matt on The Last Word about this.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation.

Saxophonist, member of Moving Hearts, and author of Music and Mayhem, Keith Donald talks to Matt about the culture that made him, from his early music influences and his time playing with Van Morrison and Christy Moore.To catch the full chat, press the ‘play’ button on this page.

Pharmaceutical companies are calling for 'radical policy change' from the European Union in order to limit a potential 'exodus' of future investment in Ireland and other EU member states.Ian Guider, columnist with the Business Post, joins The Last Word to discuss the warning issued by pharma executives to European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and more of the latest business news.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Easter eggs appear to be the latest products to be impacted by inflation, with a 200g egg now costing approximately €7.50. That’s more than double the price of five years ago.Charlie Weston, Personal Finance Editor with the Irish Independent spoke to Matt about this, and also about how the introduction of the auto-enrolment scheme is facing further delays.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation.

US President Donald Trump has once again claimed that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky started the war with Russia, saying "you don't start a war with someone 20 times your size and then hope people give you some missiles."Cal Thomas, nationally US syndicated columnist, and journalist Marion McKeone join The Last Word to discuss Trump's comments on Ukraine and more of the latest news from the US.Catch the full discussion by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

The Union of Students in Ireland has urged students travelling to the US on a J1 visa this summer to be "cautious and informed" about the potential risks of "activism", as US authorities continue to clamp down on university protests.Jenny Maguire, president of Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union, and Fiona McEntee, US immigration attorney, join The Last Word to discuss the possible threats faced by Irish students in the US if they are outspoken on certain issues.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Kaitlin Murphy, Travel Writer with TravelExpert.ie joined Matt for the travel slot on The Last Word, where this week’s destination was Japan.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear all her recommendations.

Rory McIlroy won his first major tournament in 11 years when he was crowned Masters Champion at Augusta on Sunday night.After so much heartbreak over the last decade, McIlroy finally completed the career Grand Slam, which has only been done by five other players in history.Lawrence Donegan, Founder & Editor of McKellar Magazine, The42.ie’s Gavin Cooney and Will O’Callaghan from Off The Ball spoke to Matt about an incredible weekend of drama.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear their chat.

Mick Mulvaney, former chief of staff to Donald Trump, joins The Last Word to discuss the US President's attitude to Russia, the motive behind his tariff plan and what Trump and his administration really think of Ireland.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Amanda Knox, podcaster, writer and exoneree, talks about rebuilding her life following her acquittal for murder in Italy, and reintegrating into life following infamy and trauma.To catch the full conversation, press the ‘play’ button on this page.

Shop owners push back against outdoor drinking on a popular Dublin city street, record-high house prices push young people to ditch their dream of owning a home, and could pets be bad for the environment?Sarah McGuinness, political correspondent with the Irish Daily Mail, and Ben Finnegan, Today FM news anchor, join The Last Word to discuss the week's trending stories.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Pat Marry and Robin Schiller, authors of The Ice House Murder, detail the investigation into the murder of mother of three Irene White, at Ice House in Dundalk.To catch the full conversation, press the play button on this page.

As the United States and China continue to exchange tariff jibes, what will happen to the Chinese owned social media platform TikTok, which was already facing a US ban, and how expensive could Apple's iPhone become?Andy O'Donoghue joins The Last Word to discuss the impact that US President Donald Trump's escalating trade war is having on tech.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

A study released by DCU has found that teachers at both primary and secondary level in Ireland are experiencing burnout and poor mental health.The report says that better support is needed to help teachers who face serious challenges in their jobs.Dr. Pia O’Farrell, from the School of Policy and Practice in DCU and co-author of this report and Jennifer Horgan, Irish Examiner columnist & secondary school teacher, spoke to Matt about the findings on Thursday’s programme.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation.

On Wednesday, Donald Trump announced he would be pausing plans to introduce tariffs on goods from most countries for 90 days.Explaining why he did so, the US President said “People were jumping a little bit out of line. They were getting yippy”.Cal Thomas and Marion McKeone spoke to Matt about this on Thursday’s The Last Word.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear their conversation.

To celebrate the release of his eighth novel “The Bureau”, author Eoin McNamee joined Matt for this week’s Culture Club.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear all of his choices.

Rory McIlroy is once again looking to complete a career Grand Slam at The Masters, but can he finally pull it off?Lawrence Donegan, founder and editor of McKellar Magazine, joins The Last Word to discuss McIlroy's chances of winning the 2025 Masters.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

RTÉ staff have been told that the organisation's redundancy scheme will open later this month with payments capped at €300,000.Ian Guider, columnist with The Business Post, joins The Last Word to discuss this and more of the latest business news. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Charlie Weston, Personal Finance Editor, Irish Independent, discussed where tariffs might hit consumers in terms of fuel prices, pensions and energy prices.To catch the full conversation, press the ‘play’ button on this page.

On the Easter bank holiday weekend, Today FM will be counting down the best 500 songs of the last 25 years, and you the listeners can get involved by voting for your favourites via https://vote.todayfm.com/big500.Matt, Dee Reddy and John Caddell got involved on Tuesday’s music slot by picking some of their standout tracks.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear their choices.

China has vowed to "fight to the end" as President Donald Trump threatens to impose further tariffs on Chinese goods.Cal Thomas, nationally syndicated US columnist, and journalist Marion McKeone join The Last Word to discuss Trump's escalating global trade war and more of the latest news from the United States.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

An independent review into the use of unapproved metal springs in paediatric spinal surgeries has found that "children were left unprotected from risk of harm".The report by the Health Information and Quality Authority found there was inadequate oversight within Children's Health Ireland and that families could not give informed consent to procedures using these devices due to a lack of information.Former director general of the HSE Tony O'Brien joins The Last Word to discuss the findings of the report.Hear the full conversation by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Munster recorded an impressive win against Ronan O’Gara’s La Rochelle on Saturday in the Investec Champions Cup last 16, setting up a mouthwatering tie against Bordeaux Bègles.Meanwhile, Leinster kept Harlequins scoreless at Croke Park which saw Leo Cullen’s side safely through to the quarter-finals.Former Munster player Alan Quinlan and Off The Ball’s Will O’Callaghan spoke to Matt about the weekend’s results.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the chat.

Brian Honan, chief executive and cybersecurity expert, BH consulting and Louise Corrigan, US immigration lawyer, Louise Corrigan Law discuss discuss the recommendation to delete social media apps if travelling to the US, if you have been critical of current US Policy.To catch the full conversation, press the 'play' button on this page.

Sarah Slattery from the travelexpert.ie joins The Last Word to talk about the best options for couples, families and solo travelers who may be looking to head away on a cruise.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Russell Brand is charged with rape and sexual assault, Chappell Roan says all her friends who have children are 'in hell' and the rarely used Farmleigh House is costing the taxpayer almost €3.25 million a year.Fionnuala Jones and Dave Hanratty join The Last Word to discuss the week's trending stories.But first, Nick Ferrari, presenter of Nick Ferrari at Breakfast on LBC, explains the charges against the comedian and actor Russell Brand.Catch the full conversation by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Trauma surgeon Dr Morgan McMonagle recently spent six weeks on a humanitarian mission in Gaza.On The Last Word he recounts the challenges faced by healthcare professionals in Gaza and the grim reality of treating patients in an active war zone.Hear the full conversation by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

New research from the ESRI has shown that only half of fathers are using paternity leave, with issues around levels of income a common reason for not doing so.Claire Keane – Associate Research Professor in Taxation, Welfare & Pensions at the ESRI and co-author of the report and Frances Byrne, Director of Policy, Advocacy & Campaigning with Early Childhood Ireland spoke to Matt on The Last Word about this.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation.

On Thursday, the death was announced of former intercounty manager and legendary figure, Mick O’Dwyer.Micko was arguably the most influential manager in the GAA’s history, guiding his native Kerry to 8 All-Ireland titles with some of the game’s most prolific players like Páidí O’Sé, Jack O’Shea, Eoin “Bomber” Liston and Pat Spillane.He also managed Kildare, where they won two Leinster titles under his guidance and also reached the 1998 All-Ireland final. Following that, he had spells with Laois, Wicklow and Clare.Former All-Ireland winner with Kerry, Marc O’Sé and former Kildare footballer Johnny Doyle, who played under Micko, spoke to The Last Word to remember him.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation.

IDA Ireland chairman Feargal O’Rourke considers next steps to guarantee continued inward investment into Ireland following Trump’s 20% tariffs.Kate English, Chief Economist with Deloitte, Paul Colgan economics journalist and Robert Armstrong, US Financial Commentator with the Financial Times, discuss the implications in Ireland, EU and in the US of Trump’s reciprocal tariffs and whether a trade war will ensue.To catch the full conversation, press the play button on this page.

From keeping track of passwords to clearing old email accounts, Andy O'Donoghue joins The Last Word to discuss the measures you can take to protect your information and keep your online life running smoothly.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Legendary singer-songwriter Roisin Murphy was the latest inductee into the Culture Club on The Last Word.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear all her music, film, TV & literature choices.

Ryanair flew 200.2 million passengers in its fiscal year to the end of March, making it the first European airline to carry 200 million passengers in one year.Ian Guider, columnist with the Business Post, joins The Last Word to discuss this and more of the day's business news.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

United Cancer Advocates Network is a newly formed group of cancer advocates who are pushing for better access to cutting edge drugs in Ireland.Chairperson Miriam Staunton joins The Last Word to discuss the challenges Irish cancer patients can face in getting access to new treatments.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Charlie Weston, Personal Finance Editor with the Independent, says there has been a huge fall in personal injury claims, with the value of payouts also down, that has yet to be passed to consumers.To catch the full conversation, press the play button on this page.

Ahead of World Autism Day, author Niamh Garvey talked about her late diagnosis and editing a book of essay from neurodiverse people.To catch the full conversation, press the play button on this page.

Cal Thomas, nationally syndicated US columnist, and journalist Marion McKeone join Matt for a bumper edition of the The Last Word on the US.They discuss how US President Donald Trump's tariffs will impact the US; the Trump administration's threats to Greenland; and news that US prosecutors will seek the death penalty for Luigi Mangione, the man accused of shooting dead UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in December.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

The Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe has confirmed the Local Property Tax will rise next year. Most property owners will see it increase by between €5 and €25, with homes being reevaluated from November 2025.Minister Donohoe joined Matt to explain this decision and they also discussed how the introduction of tariffs on European goods by US President Donald Trump will impact Ireland.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear their conversation.

Sam Scriven, senior statistician with the Central Statistics Office, and Eoghan O'Mara Walsh, chief executive of the Irish Tourism Industry Confederation, join The Last Word to discuss the latest inbound tourism figures which indicate a collapse in foreign visitors to Ireland.Matt is also joined by Kenny Jacobs, chief executive of the Dublin Airport Authority, to discuss the Dublin airport passenger cap following reports that the government is considering a major intervention.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Kerry won the Division One National Football League on Sunday after a dominant win over Mayo at Croke Park.Elsewhere, Monaghan were crowned winners of Division 2, Offaly were winners in Division 3 and Limerick took the Division 4 title after beating Wexford on Saturday.But after approximately 30,000 people attended the games over the weekend, have the league finals lost their spark?Former Monaghan footballer Dick Clerkin spoke to Matt and Will O’Callaghan about the results.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation.

Stuart McNamara, spokesperson for The Irish Craft and Artisan Distilleries Association and director of Portmagee Whiskey in Kerry, and Barry Cowen, Fianna Fáil MEP discuss the exposure of the Irish Whiskey Industry to US tariffs and what can be done to insure the future of jobs.To catch the full conversation, press the play button on this page.

The European Union urges every household to put together a 72-hour emergency kit, a Conservative MP calls on Ireland to join the Commonwealth and spicebag and morto are added to the Oxford English Dictionary.Journalist Lise Hand and Dion Fanning, co-host of the Free State podcast, join The Last Word to discuss the week's trending stories. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button page!

Conor Gallagher, Security and Crime Correspondent, Irish Times and Prof Colin O’Gara, Head of Addiction Services, St John of God Hospital discuss the findings of an EU-wide study that found Ireland was second only to the Netherlands in terms of ecstasy use among young people.Press play on this page to catch the full conversation.

In 1972, American boxing champion Muhammad Ali, the most famous athlete in the world, came to Ireland to fight in Croke Park.Dave Hannigan, author of 'The Big Fight : When Ali Conquered Ireland', joins The Last Word to discuss how he pieced together the details of one of the most unique events in Irish sporting history.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Environmentalist and Researcher in Climate Policy, Sadhbh O’Neill, recently made the decision to sell her car and buy an e-bike.She spoke to Matt on Thursday’s The Last Word to explain why and to highlight the financial, physical and environmental benefits she has seen from doing so over the last 6 months.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the chat.

Fianna Fáil Senator Teresa Costello has said that radical reform is needed for women under the age of 50 who present with breast cancer symptoms, having previously been diagnosed with the disease at the age of 36.Ahead of Daffodil Day 2025, she is calling on the Minister for Health to discuss the matter in the Seanad.Hit the ‘Play’ button to hear her chat with Matt.

Andy O'Donoghue joins The Last Word to run through some of the best new driving tech including easy to read smart navigation and top of the range dash cams,Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page