The Last Word with Matt Cooper

Roe McDermott, Movies Editor with Hotpress, joined Matt for this week’s movies slot on The Last Word.She predicted who she thinks will win big at Sunday night’s Academy Awards and discussed the release of “The Last Showgirl” starring Pamela Anderson.Matt and Roe also remembered the Oscar-winning actor Gene Hackman, whose death was announced on Thursday morning alongside his wife Betsy Arakawa.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation.

At GAA Congress in Donegal last weekend, president Jarlath Burns described rural depopulation as “a full-blown crisis” for the association.Speaking at the event, Mr. Burns said “it is unconscionable that we would be the generation who preside over the permanent demise of rural Ireland.”So, what can the GAA do to ensure rural clubs in Ireland survive?Michael Foley, sportswriter with The Sunday Times, spoke to Matt about the issue.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation.

Following the introduction of several conservation measures, the number of brown bears has risen by 17% across Europe since 2016. Experts have seen a 12% rise in the Eurasian lynx and a 16% jump in the number of wolverines over the same time period.Environment commentator John Gibbons joined Matt on Thursday to discuss this.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the chat.

To celebrate the release of his new book “The Boy From The Sea”, author Garrett Carr was The Last Word’s latest entry to the Culture Club.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear his choices.

Glanbia's share price fell by around 20% today as the nutrition company predicts its 2025 profits will take a battering, 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!

Leinster and Ireland legend Brian O’Driscoll joined Matt on Wednesday to talk about Ireland’s win against Wales in round 3 of the Guinness Six Nations, and what they need to improve on ahead of the huge clash with France at the Aviva Stadium. They discussed what Ireland’s bench might look like, their struggles at the scrum, and Jack Conan’s impressive tournament so far.Brian spoke to The Last Word as Guinness teams up with Field of Vision to bring a revolutionary sensory experience to visually impaired fans at this year's Men’s & Women’s Six Nations Championships.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear their chat.

A new survey has found that most people are not willing to pay more for a transition to renewable energy.Charlie Weston, personal finance editor with the Irish Independent, joins The Last Word to discuss why people might not want to fund a green future. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Matt talks to Zara, a Focus Ireland Ambassador about her experience accessing the services of the homelessness charity and how she was helped in securing the future of her family.To listen to the full conversation, press the 'play' button on this page.

Gabija Gataveckaite, political correspondent with the Irish Independent, and Peadar Toibin, leader of Aontú, join The Last Word as it has been revealed that a scanner at the National Gallery, which cost almost €125,000, has been lying idle for eight years.Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Jack Chambers also joins to Matt to discuss the ‘huge frustration and anger’ among taxpayers over cost overruns in the public sector.Catch the full discussion by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

French President Emmanuel Macron met with President Donald Trump at the White House this week and the two leaders clashed over how much money each has given to Ukraine.Cal Thomas, nationally syndicated columnist, and journalist Marion McKeone joins The Last Word to discuss the latest news from the United States.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

A new report from the Economic and Social Research Institute says that there was a strong link between the number of cases of Covid-19 reported daily and the efforts the Irish public made to reduce the spread of infection.Professor Pete Lunn, Research Professor at the ESRI spoke to Matt about these findings, and how attitudes and behavioural patterns towards the pandemic varied among different socio-economic backgrounds and age groups.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to listen to the conversation.

Thinking of heading to Australia and not sure where to start? Kaitlin Murphy from the travelexpert.ie has just returned from spending a year down under. She joins The Last Word to run through everything you should know before you go, including visa requirements, the best places to live, how to find a job and how life in Australia compares to Ireland.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Ireland came from behind to beat Wales on Saturday and set up what is being billed as the title decider for this year’s Guinness Men’s Six Nations.Matt spoke to Will O’Callaghan from Off The Ball and Matt Williams about Ireland’s performance, squad fitness ahead of Round 4, and France’s impressive victory over Italy.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the chat.

In a recent interview with the Sunday Times, Garda Assistant Commissioner Paul Cleary said he wants to make increasing the number of guards on the streets of Dublin a priority.Gary Gannon, Social Democrats TD for Dublin North Central & spokesperson for Justice and Catherine Ardagh, Fianna Fail TD for Dublin South Central, spoke to Matt about what they think needs to be done to make the city's streets safer.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the discussion.

Pope Francis' health scare leaves many wondering if he will resign, living in a cabin in the garden, and the future of the James Bond franchise.Fionnuala Jones and Dave Hanratty join The Last Word to discuss the week's trending stories.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Elon Musk took to the stage in Washington this week and showed off a chainsaw given to him by Argentina’s president Javier Milei. Musk went on to say that it was his “chainsaw for bureaucracy”, whilst also wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat.Larry Donnelly, Law Lecturer at University of Galway & Columnist with TheJournal.ie joined Matt on Friday’s The Last Word.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation.

Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage James Browne joins The Last Word to discuss measures being considered by government to boost homebuilding and address the housing crisis.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Andy O'Donoghue joins The Last Word to discuss how artificial intelligence is evolving and how soon we could see a version of AI that adapts and learns like humans.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Ian Guider, columnist with The Business Post, joins Matt to discuss all the big business headlines from Wednesday.IDA Ireland plans to deliver 75,000 new jobs in their five year plan, amid economic and political uncertaintyListen here for all the latest business news

Ahead of the release of his new show Small Town, Big Story on Sky Atlantic, actor Chris O’Dowd was the latest guest to be inducted into The Last Word’s Culture Club.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear his choices.

Government is expected to announce changes to the €800 tax-free payment given to those hosting Ukrainian refugees in the coming weeks.Of the 80,000 Ukrainians still in Ireland, more than 36,000 are living in private accommodation under the Accommodation Recognition Payment scheme which is due to expire on March 31st.Emma Lane Spollen, national coordinator with the Ukraine Civil Society Forum, and Matt Carthy. Sinn Féin TD and spokesperson on justice, home affairs and migration, join The Last Word to discuss to what extent Ireland should continue to support Ukrainian refugees in Ireland.Catch the full conversation by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

The government is said to be considering relaxing planning rules on modular homes in back gardens in the latest effort to ease Ireland’s housing crisis.Minister of State at the Department of Housing, John Cummins and Martin Markey, Chief Executive of the Hardware Association of Ireland spoke to Matt on Wednesday’s The Last Word.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation.

The United States and Russia have agreed to have closer cooperation and continue planning an end to the war in Ukraine following a meeting of officials in Saudi Arabia.Cal Thomas, nationally syndicated US columnist, and journalist Marion McKeone join The Last Word to discuss this and more of the week’s news from the United States.Catch the full conversation by pressing the ‘Play’ button on this page!

More than 80,000 homes are lying vacant in Ireland despite the ongoing housing crisis, according to new analysis from An Post.Jude Sherry, director of Anois, and Orla Hegarty, architect & assistant professor at the School of Architecture, Planning and Environmental Policy at UCD, join The Last Word to discuss what could be done to get many of these empty properties back in to use.Catch the full chat by pressing the ‘Play’ button on this page!

The tourism industry has raised concerns over the government’s plans to introduce a so-called ‘accommodation levy’ on hotels and short terms lettings in Dublin.Darragh Moriarty, Labour Councillor in Dublin City Council and Paul Gallagher, Chief Executive of the Irish Hotels Federation, spoke to Matt about the idea.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation.

Manchester United now sit in 15th place after losing 1-0 to Tottenham Hotspur yesterday, in what Miguel Delaney of the Independent described as the worst Premier League match he attended all season.Meanwhile, after dropping points against Everton in the Merseyside derby last week, Liverpool got back to winning ways on Sunday when they beat Wolves 2-1 and stayed 7 points clear of Arsenal at the top of the table.Miguel spoke to Matt and Off The Ball's Will O’Callaghan about the weekend’s results on Monday's The Last Word.Hit the ‘Play’ button to hear the chat.

If time and budgets are limited, Sarah Slattery, thetravelexpert.ie, suggests affordable day trips to European cities, from Paris, to Bergamo, to Amsterdam.To catch the full conversation, press the ‘play’ button on this page.

A 34-year-old man has died after he was stabbed in Dublin city centre in the early hours of Saturday morning.Meanwhile, new figures released by An Garda Síochána shows that the number of knives that were seized in Ireland is up by 58% between 2015 and 2024. So, what’s being done to tackle the issue of knife crime in Ireland?Matt spoke to criminologist Trina O’Connor and Richard Guiney, Chief Executive of Dublin Town, to hear their views.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation

Donald Trump bans paper straws in Federal Buildings, Sinn Féin's Mary Lou McDonald accuses Taoiseach Micheál Martin of calling her a liar and tourists heading to the Algarve this summer could be fined for walking around in swimwear.Journalist Lise Hand and Lorcan Nyhan, head of training 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!

Paul Colgan, financial journalist, and Kate English, chief economist with Deloitte Ireland, discuss Trump’s latest announcement on ‘reciprocal’ tariffs for the EU and what that means for industries in Ireland.Shane O’Donoghue, editor, CompleteCar.ie, considers how tariffs might impact the car market and American imports.

‘Warm and funny’, Roe McDermott, movies editor with Hot Press, recommended the latest in the Bridget Jones series – Mad About The Boy. To catch the full conversation, press the play button on this page.

European powers have said that there can be no negotiation about the war in Ukraine without Ukraine and Europe at the table. It comes as US President Donald Trump said he had spoken to Russian President Vladimir Putin about bringing an end to the war.Shona Murray, Europe correspondent with Euronews, Larry Donnelly, law lecturer at University of Galway, and Edward Burke, lecturer in War Studies at UCD, join The Last Word to discuss.Catch the full conversation by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

On The Last Word, Andy O'Donoghue has the latest in home fitness equipment from stationary bikes to bouncing boots.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

The government is set to make the a liquefied natural gas facility a priority, with an estimated cost of €500m over ten years. It has received criticism from climate campaigners who have fought against the plan.Environmental commentator John Gibbons joined Matt for Thursday’s environment slot.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation.

Former member of Spandau Ballet Gary Kemp was the latest inductee into The Last Word’s Culture Club this week.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear all his choices!

Daniel McConnell, Editor with the Business Post, had the details of the 40 Government representatives who are travelling abroad for St Patrick’s Day celebrations. Neale Richmond, Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Ruth Coppinger, TD, People Before Profit-Solidarity debated the merits of nine senior Government members travelling to the US to represent Ireland. They also considered whether the Taoiseach should accept an invitation to the White House in light of President Trump’s recent proposals to take Gaza and displace Palestinians.Press 'play' on this page to listen to the full conversation.

The cost of flowers, chocolates and dining out have all increased since Valentine’s Day last year, according to recent analysis.Meanwhile, the average person is now spending €3,600 on engagement rings, with over half of customers thinking that it’s not something they’d consider insuring.Charlie Weston, Personal Finance Editor at the Irish Independent, joined Matt for Wednesday’s personal finance slot.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation.

On Sunday night, Donald Trump was the first sitting US President to attend a Super Bowl but reportedly left his seat at half time during Kendrick Lamar’s performance.Samuel L Jackson made fleeting appearances as Uncle Sam, hinting at political unrest and attempted to “silence” Lamar throughout the show.Lamar also grabbed the headlines when he referenced his feud with fellow rapper Drake.Dee Reddy and John Caddell joined Matt for The Last Word on Music.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear their chat.

A new survey has found that 82% of young children are allowed to use smart devices unsupervised in their bedrooms and almost half believe they spend too much time online.Alex Cooney, chief executive of CyberSafeKids, joins The Last Word to discuss these findings and how children's uncontrolled access to devices can put them at risk. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

The Gaza ceasefire is under threat after US President Donald Trump said that “all hell is going to break out” if Israeli hostages are not released by noon on Saturday.Meanwhile, President Trump has signed an order to bring back plastic straws, claiming that paper ones “explode”.Cal Thomas and Marion McKeone joined Matt for The Last Word’s weekly US slot.Hit the 'Play' button on this page to hear the conversation.

US President Donald Trump has vowed to impose 25% tariffs on imports of steel and aluminium products coming to the US.On Monday afternoon, the European Commission said it sees “no justification” for the decision and that it will react “to protect the interests of European businesses, workers and consumers”.Shona Murray, Europe Correspondent with Euronews joined Matt to explain what this means for Ireland and wider Europe.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation.

Ireland recorded their second bonus point win of this year’s Guinness Six Nations when they defeated Scotland at Murrayfield on Sunday.France also suffered a shock defeat to England on Saturday, meaning Ireland are the only side that can still win the Grand Slam.Matt spoke to Alan Quinlan & Will O’Callaghan about the weekend’s results.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the chat.

Samantha Mumba has questioned the credentials of members of RTE’s judging panel following The Late Late Show’s Eurosong special on Friday night.Mumba finished second with her song “My Way”, with Norwegian singer EMMY winning the contest after performing “Laika Party”.Joe O’Shea and Elaine Burke were back with Matt for Monday’s TV & Streaming slot on The Last Word.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation.

Is a visit to Nashville, Memphis or the Grand Canyon on your bucket list?With 27 routes from Ireland to the US available, Sarah Slattery, thetravelexpert.ie, had a rundown of the best road trips to take advantage of the connectivity.To listen to the full conversation, press the 'play' button on this page.

Peter O'Mahony and Robbie Henshaw have been added to the Irish side that will take on Scotland in round two of the Guinness Six Nations. Liam Toland and Matt Williams join The Last Word to discuss what to expect as Ireland head to Murrayfield this Sunday.Catch all the analysis by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Scientists crack the perfect boiled egg, thousands still without power two weeks after Storm Éowyn and Donald Trump wants to turn Gaza into the 'Riviera of the Middle East'.Eoghan Tomas McDermott, managing director at the Communications Clinic, and Laura Byrne, voices editor and podcast producer with The Journal, join The Last Word to discuss the week's trending stories. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

New lower speed limits come into effect this week and motorists will see major reductions on many rural and urban roads.Conor Faughnan, transport commentator and chief executive of the RIAC, joins The Last Word to discuss the new speed limits and Ireland's road safety issues.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Andy O’Donoghue has a run down of all the latest fitness technology from free Apps, to smart watches.To listen to the full conversation, press the ‘play’ button on this page.

The family of Joe Drennan have expressed their anger at the prison sentence of the man who killed him in a hit and run in 2023.Kieran Fogarty from Co. Limerick received a six-and-a-half-year sentence for dangerous driving causing death & an eight-year sentence for a drive-by shooting earlier that year. Both sentences will run concurrently & have been backdated to October 2023.On Thursday’s The Last Word, Matt spoke to Conor Sheehan, Labour TD for Limerick City and Conor Hanly, Law Lecturer at the University of Galway about why sentences run concurrently in Ireland.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation.

The Copernicus Climate Change Service has said that last month was the warmest January on record. This continues a series of temperature records since the middle of 2023, with temperatures approximately 0.2C above what had been anticipated.Commentator John Gibbons joined Matt for this week’s Environment slot.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation.