The Last Word with Matt Cooper

Episode 5: In the run up to the big day, join Today FM's Ben Finnegan as he covers what's being said across the political spectrum to help give you the best chance of being informed at the ballot box.On day 8 of the campaign, Fianna Fáil launches their plan to tackle crime leading to a fight back from Fine Gael, we delve into People Before Profit's transport policy focuses on their key free of charge proposal and Labour's proposals for the primary care sector. Sean Defoe also joins Ben for a round up of the first week of the campaign.

Episode 4: In the run up to the big day, join Today FM's Ben Finnegan as he covers what's being said across the political spectrum to help give you the best chance of being informed at the ballot box.On day 7 of the campaign Simon Harris reveals Fine Gael's election slogan, People Before Profit Solidarity launch their manifesto, Sinn Féin put forward their immigration plan and Andrew Lowth joins us to discuss the Finna Fáil healthcare plan.

Paul McAuliffe, Fianna Fáil spokesperson on social protection, local government and electoral reform, and Pa Daly, Sinn Fein justice spokesperson, join The Last Word to discuss what their parties would do to manage crime and increase safety on the streets if they are in the next government.Hear the full debate by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

COP29 is being held in Azerbaijan until the 22nd of November, and the country’s president Ilham Aliyev has criticised "Western fake news" regarding the country's emissions, saying that oil and gas are a “gift from God”.Meanwhile, Argentina has pulled out of talks in Baku after the country’s president Javier Milei previously said that climate change is a “socialist lie”.Commentator John Gibbons joined Matt for this week’s environment slot.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the chat.

This week, President-elect Donald Trump began announcing his nominations for top roles within his administration. Among the nominations are Republican congressman Matt Gaetz to serve as attorney general, Stephen Miller to become deputy chief of staff for policy and Kristi Noem for the role of Homeland Security Secretary.Marion McKeone, US Correspondent, Business Post and Larry Donnelly, Law Lecturer at University of Galway & Political Columnist with TheJournal.ie, explained what this may mean when Trump takes over as President.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the chat.

George Hamilton is the latest inductee into the Culture Club.The legendary sports commentator, Lyric FM presenter and author of The Hamilton Notes joins The Last Word to discuss his favourite music, books, movies and more. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Episode 3: In the run up to the big day, join Today FM's Ben Finnegan as he covers what's being said across the political spectrum to help give you the best chance of being informed at the ballot box.On day 6 of the campaign Fine Gael launched their childcare policies including their commitment to the 'baby bundles', The Social Democrats, Labour and Fianna Fáil all announced pledges around renters and home delivery, and Ellen Butler joins us to discuss how these housing policies stack up.

Elon Musk was one of the biggest contributors to US president-elect Donald Trump’s election campaign and now he will play a significant role in the Trump administration as he is appointed to lead a new government efficiency agency.Eric Lipton, investigative reporter with the New York Times in Washington, joins The Last Word to discuss how tech billionaire Musk and his businesses stand to benefit from Trump's presidency.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

On Wednesday, The Last Word continued its buildup to November 29th’s general election, this time looking at how immigration will affect how people cast their votes.Colm Brophy, Fine Gael TD for Dublin South-West and Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín joined Matt to discuss their positions on the subject.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation.

On day six of the campaign trial, Gary Murphy Professor of Politics at the School of Law and Government in DCU, joined Matt to assess the election campaign so far, and to consider whether a Trump-style Department of Government Efficiency could work in Ireland. To listen to the full conservation, press the 'play' button on this page.

On Tuesday’s music slot, John Caddell and music journalist Zara Hedderman reacted to the news that Robbie Williams is set to play Croke Park next summer.Also up for discussion was the upcoming BBC Two documentary ‘Boybands Forever’, Olivia Rodrigo announcing a date for Marlay Park and Simon & Garfunkel’s reconciliation.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the chat.

This week on the Last Word on The US, Marion McKeone is joined by Larry Donnelly to discuss the first appointments to Trump's cabinet.The appointments so far suggest a massive deportation programme to come.

Author and journalist Catherine Sanz joins The Last Word to discuss her book 'Drama Drives Interest: The Web Summit Story' which looks at the rise and fall, and rise again, of the massive tech event and its notorious CEO Paddy Cosgrave.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'play' button on this page!

Episode 2: In the run up to the big day, join Today FM's Ben Finnegan as he covers what's being said across the political spectrum to help give you the best chance of being informed at the ballot box.On day 5 of the campaign we have Sinn Féin launching their housing policy, The Green Party launching their manifesto and Andrew Lowth joins Ben to discuss what parties are pledging to do with the Apple tax money.

Minister of State with responsibility for Public Procurement, eGovernment and Circular Economy and Green Party candidate Ossian Smyth and Senator Fiona O'Loughlin, Fianna Fáil candidate, join The Last Word to debate what climate actions their parties' will take if they are in the next government.Catch the full debate by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Manchester City lost their fourth consecutive game for the first time in Pep Guardiola’s career, leaving his side 5 points adrift of Liverpool at the top of the table.How concerned should Guardiola be about City’s form, and is Liverpool’s momentum sustainable throughout the season?Miguel Delaney, Chief Football Writer with The Independent and Off The Ball’s Will O’Callaghan joined Matt on Monday for a debrief of the weekend’s Premier League results.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the chat.

Ireland were beaten by the All Blacks on Friday night in their opening fixture of the 2024 Autumn Internationals, ending their 19-game unbeaten run at the Aviva Stadium.Matt was joined by Paul Wallace and Will O’Callaghan from Off The Ball to discuss how Andy Farrell's side will look to bounce back against Argentina and the lack of atmosphere inside the stadium.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the chat.

Episode 1: Over the next three weeks politicians will be pounding the pavements, knocking on doors, kissing babies and making promises. After months of speculation - a General Election will take place in Ireland. Polling day will be Friday, November 29th. In the run up to the big day, join Today FM's Ben Finnegan as he covers what's being said across the political spectrum to help give you the best chance of being informed at the ballot box.With a new episode coming every weekday evening you won’t miss a thing.To kick us off, we have Michael O'Leary's teaching moment, a housing debate and promises to end government waste.

In the first of our election debates, Eoin Ó Broin, housing spokesperson for Sinn Féin, and Paschal Donohoe, Minister for Public Expenditure and Fine Gael housing spokesperson, joined Matt to debate the housing crisis, which remains the biggest issue for many voters heading to the polls on November 29th.To catch the full debate, press the 'play' button on this page.

Fine Gael is scrambling to limit the fallout after controversial comments Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary made about teachers at a party event.Daniel McConnell, editor of the Business Post, joins The Last Word to discuss what's been going on in the first few days of the general election campaign.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Orla Ryan from TheJournal.ie and Eoghan Tomás McDermott, Managing Director at the Communications Clinic, join Matt to discuss the big news stories of the week. Donald Trump’s victory hailed as ‘the biggest political comeback in US history,’ General Election 2024 gets underway at home, and fans clash in Amsterdam after Ajax vs Maccabi Tel Aviv tie. For all the week's biggest news, hit ‘Play’ now. 

The 2024 general election is officially underway with just three weeks until polling day on Friday, November 29.Gary Murphy, professor of politics at the School of Law and Government in DCU, Sarah Carey, columnist with the Irish Independent, and Daniel McConnell, editor of the Business Post, join The Last Word to discuss the issues that could define the general election campaign. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Miguel Delaney, Chief Football Writer with The Independent, has released his new book “States of Play: How Sportswashing Took Over Football”. It looks at how modern football has never been more powerful, yet the injection of money into the sport is creating a host of issues on a global scale.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear his chat with Matt.

Andy O'Donoghue joins The Last Word to talk about the best home sound system tech to elevate your listening experience.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

After Donald Trump was elected as the 47th US President this week, environmental campaigners have expressed concerns about his impact on attempts to tackle climate change.Environmental commentator John Gibbons joined Matt to discuss this on Thursday’s The Last Word.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the chat.

Eoghan Murphy was Minister for Housing from 2017 to 2020 and it was a tenure that received widespread criticism as homeless figures continued to rise and the housing crisis worsened.He has released his book “Running from Office: Confessions of Ambition and Failure in Politics” about his time in government and on Thursday, he joined Matt on The Last Word to discuss it.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation.

Ian Guider, columnist with the Business Post, joins The Last Word to discuss what impact Donald Trump's US presidential victory will have on the economy in Ireland, Europe and the rest of the world. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Donald Trump has been elected US president for a second time, making a remarkable comeback from his loss against Joe Biden in 2020.Marion McKeone, US correspondent for the Business Post, Cal Thomas, nationally syndicated columnist, and Larry Donnelly, law lecturer at University of Galway and political columnist with TheJournal.ie, join The Last Word to discuss Trump's victory and what his second term as president will look like.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Matt was joined by Gary Murphy, Professor of Politics at the School of Law and Government in DCU and Danny McConnell, Editor, Business Post, to discuss the impact of Donald Trump's victory for Irish politics, trade and security.To catch the full conversation, press the 'play' button on this page.

As millions head to the polls in the United States the knife-edge presidential election is still all to play for. Cal Thomas, nationally syndicated US columnist, and Marion McKeone, US correspondent for the Business Post, join The Last Word to assess each candidate's performance in the final days of the campaign and concerns about violence over election outcome.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Lawrence Donegan, author of the ‘GoodbyeDonald?’ Substack blog spoke to The Last Word live from Mar-a-Lago in Florida to give an update on the feeling on the ground as voting continues in the 2024 US Presidential race.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear his chat with Matt.

The cap on passenger numbers at Dublin Airport, which was due to come into effect next summer, is set to be paused after a decision by the High Court on Monday.Ian Guider joined Matt for The Last Word’s daily business news to explain the decision.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation.

Sarah Carey, Columnist at the Irish Independent, Gary Murphy, Professor of Politics at the School of Law and Government in DCU and Louise Burne, Political Correspondent with the Irish Mirror spoke to Matt about how the coming weeks could play out for each political party once the general election is called.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation.

Russell Alford, co-restaurant critic with The Sunday Times and one half of the Gastro Gays, returns to The Last Word to discuss more of his favourite foodie travel destinations. This time he talks about the best food and restaurants in Seoul, South Korea and Chicago in the US.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

US presidential candidates Kamala Harris and Donald Trump spent the weekend making last ditch efforts to drum up support before polling day.With just one day to go, Larry Donnelly, law lecturer at the University of Galway and political columnist with The Journal, joins The Last Word to asses each of the candidates' chances and what could happen once polls close.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Seven-time All-Ireland winner with Kilkenny Richie Hogan has released his new autobiography, “What It Takes”.He joined Matt to talk about his career that lasted almost two decades, infamous run-ins with teammates at training and what it’s like to be in the pundit’s chair after so much time spent as a player.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the chat.

Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael appear to have joined forces to block a strategy from the Green Party, which includes new anti-pollution taxes for motorists, just before the general election is called.Tabitha Monahan, political reporter with the Irish Independent, and Brian Leddin, Green Party TD for Limerick City, join The Last Word to discuss.Listen to the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Dave Hanratty, host of the No Encore podcast and Voices Editor and Podcast Producer with TheJournal.ie, Laura Byrne, joined Matt on Friday for The Week Trending.Up for discussion was the fake Halloween parade on O’Connell Street, Michael Healy Rae’s use of a Taylor Swift deepfake ahead of the general election and Saoirse Ronan’s viral moment on last Friday’s Graham Norton Show.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the chat.

In the final days of the US presidential election, the race is on a knife edge as Donald Trump and Kamala Harris focus on getting as many people out to vote as possible.Cal Thomas, nationally syndicated US columnist, and Marion McKeone, US correspondent with the Business Post, join The Last Word to discuss why the race is so close, Trump's promise to 'protect women' and more.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

There’s huge Irish interest in the big screen this week as the hotly anticipated ‘Small Things Like These’ starring Cillian Murphy and Eileen Walsh hits cinemas.Also due for release this weekend is Steve McQueen’s latest film ‘Blitz’, set during World War II and starring Saoirse Ronan.Roe McDermott, Movies Editor with Hotpress, joined Matt to give her reviews.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear their chat.

Andy O'Donoghue joins The Last Word to discuss a range of devices that allow viewers to get the best out of their streaming services.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

The death toll in Spain has surpassed 150 people after parts of Valencia saw a year’s worth of rainfall in eight hours.Environmental commentator John Gibbons joined Matt to explain how climate change has an impact on extreme weather events.Press the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation.

We’re just 5 days away from the US election, and both Kamala Harris and Donald Trump have headed to the western states in their final attempts to sway voters in their favour.Lawrence Donegan, Author of the ‘GoodbyeDonald?’ Substack blog and US-based journalist Dave Hannigan joined Matt to continue The Last Word’s countdown to November 5th.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear their chat.

Broadcasting legend Marty Whelan was this week’s inductee into The Last Word’s Culture Club.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear his choices.

Britain had its first budget under the new Labour government today and Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves set out a plan to raise £40 billion in taxes as she promised to "fix the foundations" of the economy.Ian Guider, columnist with the Business Post, joins The Last Word to asses the UK budget and discuss more of the day's business news. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Matt spoke to journalist, producer and author Trevor Birney about his book Shooting Crows.The book details his arrest and investigation over his documentary from 2017 on the collusion between the RUC and Loyalists in the Loughlinisland Massacre. To catch the full conversation, press the 'play' button on this page.

Munster have confirmed the departure of head coach Graham Rowntree following a poor start in the season for the club. Liam Toland, former Munster and Leinster player, joins The Last Word to discuss Rowntree's shock exit and what's next for Munster.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

A comedian at a Donald Trump rally in New York's Madison Square Garden called Puerto Rico "a floating island of garbage" sparking outrage amongst both Democrats and Republicans.Cal Thomas, nationally syndicated US columnist, and Marion McKeone, US correspondent with the Business Post, join The Last Word just one week out from polling day in the US.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Nicola Tallant, Investigations Editor at the Sunday World, has released her new book “Web Of Betrayal: Murder In Ireland’s Brutal Gangland”, which looks at the murder of Robbie Lawlor and gives an insight into the infamous gangland feud in Drogheda, Co. Louth.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear her chat with Matt.

Traders in Dublin city centre are taking a High Court challenge over traffic measures introduced by the city council in August. Ian Guider, columnist with the Business Post, joins The Last Word to discuss this and more of the day's business news, including the Irish business man who wants to be the next chief executive of fashion brand Boohoo.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.