The Last Word with Matt Cooper

On Tuesday, Matt was joined by author Joseph O’Connor as he discussed the release of his latest book “The Ghosts of Rome”.The book is set in spring 1944 and follows a group of people who help others escape the Germans in Rome, which has been occupied by the Nazis for six months.They also discussed the current political landscape in both Ireland and around the world, and how it is reflected in the themes throughout the novel.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear their conversation.

Ian Guider, columnist with the Business Post, joins The Last Word to discuss the impact of US President Donald Trump slapping tariffs on China and threatening Canada, Mexico and the European Union.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

China has slapped tariffs on a raft of goods coming from the United States in response to US tariffs on Chinese goods introduced by President Donald Trump.Marion McKeone and Cal Thomas join The Last Word to discuss the latest news from the US as Trump fires the first shots in what could become a global trade war.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

The delivery of houses in Ireland could fall short of the government’s targets in 2025, according to a report by Mitchell McDermott.This prediction comes off the back of CSO figures which showed that only 30,330 houses were completed in 2024, almost 10,000 lower than the 40,000 target.Paul Mitchell, Director & Co-Founder of Mitchell McDermott and Kate English, Chief Economist at Deloitte, discussed this with Matt on Thursday’s The Last Word.Hit the ‘Play button on this page to hear the conversation.

Ireland kick off their 2025 Guinness Six Nations campaign against England this Saturday as they bid to win a historic 3-in-a-row.Under interim head coach Simon Easterby, how are Ireland’s chances looking, and which players will be putting their hands up ahead of the Lions tour in the summer?Matt was joined by Fiona Hayes to discuss the weekend’s fixtures.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation.

On Thursday, Matt was joined by Armando Iannucci, the creator of iconic TV shows like Alan Partride, Veep and The Thick of It.He discussed his stage adaptation of the Stanley Kubrick classic, 'Dr. Strangelove', which is coming to the Bórd Gáis Energy Theatre on the 5th of February, along with his storied career that spans decades.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear their chat.

DeepSeek, a Chinese owned startup, is disrupting the AI sector amid claims it performs better than other popular technology at a fraction of the price.Andy O'Donoghue joins The Last Word to explain what DeepSeek does and why it is scaring the world's tech giants.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Trevor Birney, journalist, documentary maker and producer of the Kneecap movie, joins The Last Word for the the Culture Club. He discusses his favourite cultural choices as well as the success of Kneecap and working on the upcoming Saipan movie.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Robert F Kennedy Jnr, Donald Trump's pick for health secretary, has said he is "not anti-vaccine" and has defended the President's anti-abortion policy during his confirmation hearing at the US Senate.Marion McKeone, US based journalist joins The Last Word to discuss RFK Jnr's appearance at the tense hearing.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

On Monday, Lady Gaga announced that her new album “Mayhem” will be released on March 7th.Meanwhile, Forbidden Fruit and Longitude have both revealed the first wave of artists that will play the festivals this summer.John Caddell & Dee Reddy joined Matt to run through the week's music news.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the chat.

The Trump administration's crackdown on illegal immigration has hit major cities across the US and led to mass arrests.Cal Thomas, nationally syndicated US columnist, and Marion McKeone, US correspondent with the Business Post, join The Last Word to discuss what US President Donald Trump has been doing in his first week back in office. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

The Allianz National Football League returned this weekend, and it was the first time fans got to see the new rules created by the FRC in an attempt to improve the state of the game.Which rules were a success, and will teams become more attack-focused because of them?Matt spoke to former Mayo footballer David Brady and Will O’Callaghan from Off The Ball about what we learned from the weekend’s fixtures.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear their chat.

Diageo has said it has “no intention” of selling the Guinness brand, following reports last week that it was considering doing so.Bloomberg News first reported that Diageo was exploring options for Guinness and that its value could be more than $10m.Ian Guider, Columnist with the Business Post, joined Matt for Monday’s business slot.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation.

Conor Gallagher, Crime and Security Correspondent with the Irish Times, explained that an extensive file regarding alleged garda corruption has been sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions.Organised crime and corruption charges are being considered against a former garda superintendent, Mr Hutch and two serving gardaí.To listen to the full conversation, press the ‘play’ button on this page.

Sarah Slattery from travelexpert.ie joins The Last Word for her weekly travel slot and this time she's got all the best things to do and see when visiting Tallinn, the capital city of Estonia. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

It's been a big week for politics on both sides of the Atlantic, Roe McDermot, advice columnist with The Irish Times, and Larry Donnelly, law lecturer at the University of Galway and political columnist with TheJournal.ie, 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, outlined the latest figures on house completion from the Central Statistics Office, which showed a decrease of 6.7% on 2023.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation.

Micheál Martin Receives Seal Of OfficeFollowing yesterday’s historic Dáil row and suspension, Micheál Martin has been elected Taoiseach.Louise Burne, Political Correspondent of the Irish Mirror and Danny McConnell of the Business Post outlined the political landscape of the new Dail and the emerging picture of the Cabinet appointees.Matt Carthy, Sinn Féin TD for Cavan-Monaghan and Séamus McGrath, Fianna Fáil TD for Cork South-Central debated the issues over speaking rights that had help up yesterday’s proceedings.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

The 34th Dáil met today for the first sitting since the general election but a massive row over opposition speaking time meant there was no vote to appoint a Taoiseach and form a new government.Tabitha Monahan, Irish Independent political reporter, Daniel McConnell, Business Post editor, and Sarah Carey, columnist with the Irish Independent join The Last Word to recap on a day of chaos in Dáil Éireann.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

2025 is shaping up to be a great year for gigs in Ireland. John Caddell and Dee Reddy join The Last Word to take a look at the best concerts and festival lineups including Lana Del Rey, Charli XCX and many more.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Sinead Kennedy, host of wellness activity breaks & travel expert joined Matt for The Last Word on Travel to talk about her recent once in a lifetime trip to Antarctica.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear her recommendations.

US President Donald Trump wasted no time after his inauguration on Monday, as he issued a full pardon for January 6th rioters and withdrew the US from the World Health Organisation and the Paris climate agreement in a slew of executive orders.Cal Thomas, nationally syndicated US columnist, and Marion McKeone, US correspondent with the Business Post, join The Last Word to discuss what Trump has done in his first 24 hours back in office.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Darwin Nunez scored two injury time goals against Brentford as Liverpool stretched their lead at the top of the Premier League table.Meanwhile, Man United suffered a 3-1 home defeat to Brighton on Sunday, leaving Ruben Amorim’s side in 13th place and leading him to say that this side is possibly the worst in the club’s history.Miguel Delaney, Chief Football Writer with the Independent and Will O’Callaghan from Off The Ball joined Matt to discuss the weekend’s results.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the chat.

On Monday, Donald Trump became the 47th US President.In his speech, President Trump criticised Joe Biden’s presidency, declared a national emergency at the US-Mexico border and said that as of Monday, it will be official policy of the US government that there are only two genders – male and female.Cal Thomas & Marion McKeone joined Matt on The Last Word to give their reaction to his speech.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation.

What's going to happen with the US TikTok ban, why did cherry tomatoes on a Dublin bridge send social media into a frenzy, and who's going (or more importantly, who isn't going) to Donald Trump's inauguration?Aoife Barry, journalist, and Russell Alford, 98FM producer and food critic for Sunday Times as one half of GastroGays, join The Last Word to discuss the week's trending stories. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

The Department of Education has contacted several schools In Ireland to say that they can’t award exemptions for studying Irish based on psychological reports alone. This decision comes as the number of students receiving exemptions issued by school principals has risen.Carl O’Brien, Education Editor at the Irish Times and Séaghan Ó Suilleabheán, Irish language presenter and content creator, joined Will O’Callaghan on Friday’s The Last Word to discuss the issue.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation.

The next government will consist of Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, the Regional Independent Group and Independent TDs Michael and Danny Healy-Rae.How does their programme for government impact climate change?Environment commentator John Gibbons spoke to Matt on Thursday’s The Last Word.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear their chat.

US President Joe Biden delivered his exit speech on Wednesday night, issuing a warning about a concentration of wealth in the United States.Matt spoke to Marion McKeone and Larry Donnelly, Law Lecturer at University of Galway & Columnist with TheJournal.ie, about his comments.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation.

MM fighter Conor McGregor has been ordered by the High Court not to publish or share the CCTV footage shown during the recent civil action taken by Nikita Hand.Frank Greaney joins The Last Word to outline what was heard in court.

Irish hospitals took in almost €16 million in car parking charges in 2023 according to a new report from Irish Country Living. Hospital parking remains a burden on sick people and their families despite Taoiseach Simon Harris promising in 2020 that the charges would be capped at €10 per day.Ciara Leahy, editor of Irish Country Living, joins The Last Word to discuss the report.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page

A deal for the next government was agreed between Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, the Regional Independent Group and Independent TDs Michael & Danny Healy Rae.Micheál Martin will be Taoiseach until November 2027, with Simon Harris taking over for the remaining two years of the government’s term.Matt was joined by Fine Gael TD Jennifer Carroll-MacNeill, Padraig Mac Lochlainn, Sinn Féin TD for Donegal, Sean Canney TD from the Regional Independent Group and Fianna Fáil’s Niall Collins TD on Wednesday's The Last Word to discuss this.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation.

Roisín O’Donnell has just released her debut novel, Nesting, a tense exploration of one women’s attempts to get away from a coercive partner, and a portrait of life inside the housing system.In the culture club, she spoke to Matt about the books, movies, music and TV that have influenced her.

January is often considered 'divorce month' as the new year see lots of couples take the first steps towards splitting up.Michelle Brown, divorce consultant, specialist family mediator and author of Scars of Divorce, joins The Last Word to discuss how to get a divorce in Ireland while keeping the costs down and relationships as amicable as possible.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Marion McKeone, US correspondent with the Business Post, and Cal Thomas, nationally syndicated US columnist, join The Last Word to discuss the devastating LA fires and preparations for President Donald Trump's upcoming inauguration.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

A study in England and Wales has suggested that there has been an increase in the proportion of women seeking abortions, despite using “natural” methods of preventing pregnancy, such as fertility tracking apps.How accurate are these apps, and how much data is stored on them?Dr. Laura Cullen, Cork GP and Director of Women’s Health with the Irish College of General Practitioners and Elaine Burke, host of the For Tech’s Sake podcast, joined Matt to discuss this.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the chat.

Charity shops across Ireland have seen an increase in clothing donations purchased from fast fashion sites such as Shein, some of which have never been worn.Is fast fashion taken seriously enough when it comes to environmental and labour issues?Broadcaster and content creator Fionnuala Jones joined Matt on The Last Word to discuss this.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear their conversation.

Man United knocked Arsenal out of the FA Cup on Sunday, bringing a miserable week to an end for Mikel Arteta’s side.With the North London derby just two days away, can Arsenal rediscover their form?Miguel Delaney, Chief Football Writer with The Independent and Off The Ball’s Will O’Callaghan joined Matt on Monday to discuss the weekend's results.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation.

The Commercial Court has heard that Michael Flatley is willing to repay a €5.6million loan at the centre of a dispute with a lender.It was made to Blackbird Film Productions Ltd by Novellus Finance Ltd, who says there has been default on repayment. Mr. Flatley denies this.Peter O’Dwyer, Head of News at the Business Post, joined Matt for Monday’s business news.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation.

The high cost of childcare is driving people, particularly women, out of the workforce and is damaging recruitment according to a new survey from Dublin Chamber.Karen Clince, chief executive of Tigers Childcare, and Neil McDonnell, chief executive of ISME, join The Last Word to discuss the challenge faced by employers and what can be done to address high childcare costs.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Sarah Slattery, from travelexpert.ie, joins The Last Word to give her rundown on the best January travel deals on offer.She has great tips from flight sales, cruises or bucket list trips to the Maldives, Barbados or Disneyland.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Ben Finnegan, Today FM news anchor, and Orla Ryan, news correspondent with TheJournal.ie, join The Last Word to discuss the week's trending stories including weather warnings, the Los Angeles fires, and Elon Musk's latest attempts to influence world politics.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

How nutritional are hot school meals actually?Food policy consultant Ruth Hegarty joins Matt and Principal Regina Halpin to discuss the concerns around hot school meals and their impact on school children.

The average mortgage loan is now over €300,000 according to a new survey from MyHome.ie, but many homes cost much more than that. So how are buyers making up the difference?Michael Dowling, managing director of Dowling Financial joins The Last Word to discuss the phenomenon of the 'bank of mum and dad' helping first time buyers to get on the property ladder.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Tech journalist Andy O’Donoghue was back on The Last Word to explain how to get the best out of your tech and the most effective methods of starting a digital detox.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the chat.

Singer Jerry Fish joins The Last Word this week for the Culture Club!He talks about his favourite music, books, movies and more as well as discussing his new album 'Dreaming of Daniel' featuring MayKay. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Owen Reidy, General Secretary, Irish Congress of Trade Unions, and Julie Galbraith, Head of Employment Law, Eversheds Sutherland discuss hybrid working in Ireland and the legislation around the right to request remote working.To listen to the full conversation, press the 'play' button on this page.

US President elect Donald Trump says he wants to make Greenland a part of the United States, threatening tariffs and refusing to rule out military action.But why does Trump want the island, which is territory of Denmark, and does he have a chance of getting it?Tom Carstensen, journalist in Copenhagen, and Larry Donnelly, law lecturer at University of Galway and political columnist with The Journal, join The Last Word to discuss.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

If you’re looking to give yourself a financial boost in the new year, it may be worth preparing a tax return.Charlie Weston, Personal Finance Editor with The Irish Independent, explained how it can be done on Wednesday’s personal finance slot.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation.

Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has announced significant changes to its content moderation policies in the US which include replacing fact checking with a community notes system, similar to the one adopted by Elon Musk on X.Elaine Burke, host of the For Tech's Sake podcast, joins The Last Word to talk about the significant move which is seen as a further effort by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg to cosy up to incoming US President Donald Trump.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

US President elect Donald Trump has refused to rule out using military force to take over Greenland. Trump said the US needs to purchase the Danish territory for "national security purposes".Cal Thomas, nationally syndicated US columnist, and Marion McKeone, US correspondent with the Business Post, join The Last Word to discuss this and more of the latest news from the United States.Catch the full chat by pressing the play button on this page!