The Last Word with Matt Cooper

It's prostate cancer awareness month and the Marie Keating Foundation are asking men to 'stand up for your prostate and pay attention to your pee' to recognise any signs and symptoms of prostate cancer early. Helen Forristal, Urology Nurse Specialist and Director of Nursing Services at the Marie Keating Foundation is here to give us all the information.

Ras Al-Khaimah is the northernmost emirate in the United Arab Emirates and is quickly becoming a popular holiday destination, particularly for those in search of adventure. Sarah Slattery from the travelexpert.ie joins The Last Word to explain what Ras Al-Khaimah has to offer.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Tánaiste Micheál Martin said on Monday that Ireland’s Apple tax will be used to “copper-fasten” investment in housing in the country in the coming years.Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien joined Matt on from the Fianna Fáil think-in to discuss how much the issue of housing will influence the upcoming general election campaign.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation.

We’ve got potential presidents spouting cat-eating conspiracy theories, another weird statue; this one of Queen Elizabeth in Antrim. And The UK moving to ban junk food TV ads pre-watershed, should Ireland follow suit?  Joe O’Shea, editor of Corkbeo.ie, and Jennifer Horgan, columnist with the Irish Examiner join The Last Word to discuss the week’s trending stories. Catch the full chat by pressing ‘play’ now! 

Matt was joined by Liam O’Callaghan, author of Blood and Thunder: Rugby and Irish Life: A History, which looked at how rugby in Ireland has become a sporting success, despite its small population.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the chat.

John Gibbons brings us the weekly environment round up.The All Ireland Hedgehog Survey has warned that these robot mowers pose a large risk to the species.

Charlie Weston, Personal Finance Editor with the Irish Independent, was back with Matt on Thursday and they discussed how the Central Bank is to disband its consumer protection directorate.They also covered how the ECB has found that the Central Bank’s mortgage rules that cap borrowing for potential homebuyers negatively impact younger, middle and lower income households.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the chat.

Apple has launched its much anticipated iPhone 16, with new AI features, but Apple is not the only tech company releasing high quality and innovative products.Andy O'Donoghue joins The Last Word to discuss Apple's latest launch and how it stacks up against new releases from companies like Google and Samsung.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

CCTV is set to be used to catch illegal littering in Dublin city – but only if someone does it from their car.Green Party Dublin City Councillor Janet Horner and Liam Herrick, Executive Director for the Irish Council for Civil Liberties, joined Matt to discuss the idea.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the chat.

The author of The Revelation Of Ireland joins Matt for this week's Culture Club to discuss his favourite music, movies, books, tv shows and more in the Culture Club.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Tánaiste Micheál Martin joined Matt on The Last Word to discuss Tuesday’s Apple Tax ruling and what will be done with the money available to the government, the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and how Anglo-Irish relations can improve going forward.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation.

With less than two months to go to the US presidential election, Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris and former Republican President Donald Trump have clashed in the first, a possibly only, debate between the candidates.Marion McKeone, US correspondent with the Business Post, and Larry Donnelly, law lecturer at the University of Galway and political columnist with The Journal, join The Last Word to discuss how each of the candidates faired in this crucial debate.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Kamala Harris and Donald Trump took part in the first US Presidential debate on Tuesday night in Philadelphia.Marion McKeone, US Correspondent with the Business Post and nationally syndicated columnist Cal Thomas looked ahead at what to expect and where the debate could be won and lost.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation.

Sarah McGuinness, Assistant News Editor with the Business Post, joined Matt for Tuesday’s business news.Up for discussion was Shane Lowry’s sponsorship deal with Kingspan ending amid the fallout from the Grenfell fire inquiry, Sky launching a mobile phone service in Ireland and the new features that were unveiled in Apple’s products at their latest launch in California.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the chat.

A European court has ruled that Apple must pay more than €13 billion in back taxes to Ireland in a significant legal defeat for both the Irish Government and the US tech company.Daniel Murray, policy editor with the Business Post, Dan O'Brien, chief economist at the Institute of International and European Affairs, and Sinn Féin finance spokesperson Pearse Doherty join The Last Word to discuss the implications of this ruling.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Elaine Burke and Joe O'Shea discuss the position of The Late Late Show in today's tv environment.Plus its the end of The Grand Tour but what is ahead for Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May?

David McWilliams, economist and author, joins The Last Word to discuss the human relationship with money as explored in his new book, Money - A Story of Humanity.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Lucy Letby was sentenced to life imprisonment for murdering seven babies and eight counts of attempted murder at a UK hospital between the summer of 2015 and 2016.The former neonatal nurse is the most prolific child serial killer in modern British history but there are growing calls for her convictions to be examined due to concerns over some evidence presented at trial.Nick Ferrari, presenter of Nick Ferrari at Breakfast on LBC Radio, joins The Last Word to discuss this story.Listen to the full discussion by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Are you thinking of booking a last-minute holiday in the coming weeks? On this week's The Last Word on Travel, Sarah Slattery from TheTravelExpert.ie gave a range of deals on offer that will give you value for money.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation.

Pulitzer Prize winning author Anne Applebaum joins The Last Word to discuss the threat posed to democracy by authoritarian governments around the world as outlined in her latest book Autocracy Inc.Catch the full discussion by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Consumer protection body opens investigation into Oasis tickets sale, there's outrage over a €336,000 bike shed and a depiction of 'potato eating' Irish family is pulled from a school book.Roe McDermott, Irish Times columnist, and Kieran Cunningham, chief sports writer with the Irish Daily Star, join The Last Word to discuss the week's trending stories.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Andy O'Donoghue brought us his top recommendations for the best e-scooters and e-bikes on the market to suit all budgets.To catch the full conversation, press the 'play' button on this page.

The government has launched a new plan to improve Ireland’s water quality.Some details include controls on fertiliser use and a target of 4,500 farm inspections annually.John Gibbons discussed it on this week’s environment slot.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation.

A group of Fianna Fáil politicians have put forward a Bill to ban dynamic pricing on tickets following the outrage over the Oasis ticket prices.Niamh Smyth, Fianna Fáil TD for Cavan-Monaghan , joins The Last Word to discuss the Bill that would extend existing legislation outlawing the resale of tickets above face value.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Author Christine Dwyer Hickey joins The Last Word to discuss her favourite music, movies, books, tv shows and more in the Culture Club. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Irish company Kingspan has been heavily criticised in the final report of the inquiry into the Grenfell Tower fire in London in 2017 which led to 72 deaths.Ian Guider from the Business Post joins The Last Word to discuss the report which found that Kingspan and two other firms engaged in a deliberate strategy to mislead the market about their products.Catch the full discussion by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Transport Minister Eamon Ryan has warned that Dublin Airport must stick to the passenger cap. He also spoke about the costs of the new Leinster House bicycle shelter.

We’ve heard a lot about dynamic pricing since tickets for Oasis at Croke Park next August went on sale last weekend, but does it impact our everyday spending more than we realise?Charlie Weston, Personal Finance Editor with the Irish Independent, joined Matt to tell us which other companies use the system.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the chat.

The Department of Education has been criticised after having a Junior Cycle textbook containing “absurdly misconceived and discriminatory” depictions of an Irish family in its curriculum.Jennifer Horgan, secondary school teacher and Irish Examiner columnist, Peadar Toibin, Meath-West TD and Aontú leader and historian and musician Paddy Cullivan spoke to Matt about the issue.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation.

There has been widespread outrage over the cost of tickets to Oasis's reunion tour which in some cases more than doubled in price while on sale at the weekend due to dynamic pricing.John Caddell and Dee Reddy join The Last Word to discuss the controversy and whether the band have put off announcing further dates because of it.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Cal Thomas, nationally syndicated US columnist, and Marion McKeone, US correspondent with the Business Post, join The Last Word to discuss the latest news from the United States as the presidential election draws closer.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Sinn Féin has unveiled its €39 billion housing plan in which it pledges to deliver 300,000 homes over five years if the party is elected into government.Eoin Ó Broin, Sinn Féin's housing spokesperson, joins The Last Word to outline what the party would do to solve Ireland's housing crisis.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Sarah Slattery from the travelexpert.ie spoke to Mario Rosenstock on The Last Word for part two of her look at wellness retreats, where she focuses on what Ireland has to offer from yoga retreats, unique experiences, and spa breaks.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Dynamic prices, long queues and site crashes were just some complaints that fans cited after tickets for Oasis at Croke Park in August next year went on sale on Saturday. The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission has since said there are “legitimate concerns around the consumer experiences” of buying tickets.Dave Hanratty, host of the No Encore podcast and tech journalist Andy O’Donoghue joined Mario Rosenstock to discuss the issue.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the chat.

An Post has identified 20 emerging Irish fiction writers whose work will be promoted in the run up to the annual An Post Irish Book Awards. Three of these writers, Fíona Scarlett, Michelle Gallen and Ferdia Lennon, join The Last Word to discuss their work and the strength of modern Irish literature.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Kamala Harris is set to give her first major interview since becoming the Democratic presidential nominee on Thursday night.Cal Thomas, nationally syndicated columnist and Larry Donnelly, Law Lecturer at University of Galway & Political Columnist with TheJournal.ie joined Matt to discuss what could be in store.Press the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation.

Andy O'Donoghue joins The Last Word to discuss the whether it would be possible to ban access to social media for under-16s and the tools and apps that can help to keep children safe online.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Coldplay pledged to reduce their carbon footprint for their ‘Music of the Spheres’ tour, which rolls into Dublin this weekend, but how effective has it been?Environmental commentator John Gibbons joined Matt to discuss that and how Exxon has predicted that demand for oil will stay at the same level in 2050 as it’s at now.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the chat.

Émer Dineen actress and creator of 0800 Cupid, a musical extravaganza and cabaret show debuting at Dublin’s Theatre Festival was the latest inductee to The Last Word’s Culture Club.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear all her choices!

The average cost of going to college has risen by more than €500 compared to last year.Charlie Weston, personal finance editor with the Irish Independent, joins The Last Word to discuss why going to third-level has become so expensive and what students and parents can do to reduce the costs.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

The Irish Medical Organisation(IMO) has backed proposals from government ministers to limit young people's access to smartphones and social media. However, the Irish Secondary Schools' Union (ISSU) believes any bans would be unrealistic and there should be better online safety education instead. Professor Matthew Sadlier from the IMO and Jack McGinn, president of the ISSU, join The Last Word to discuss.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Marion McKeone, US Correspondent with the Business Post and nationally syndicated columnist Cal Thomas joined Matt for Tuesday’s The Last Word’s Slot.Up for discussion was Donald Trump threatening to pull out of next month’s debate with Kamala Harris and Robert F Kennedy junior being added to Trump’s transition team, should he win November’s election.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the chat.

Journalist and author Aoife Barry joins The Last Word to discuss the announcement that Liam and Noel Gallagher have put aside their differences for a long-awaited reunion tour and will play two nights in Croke Park next year. Then in The Last Word on Music, John Caddell and Dee Reddy react to the news and look ahead to Coldplay's four nights in Croke Park.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Friends of the Earth has said that Ireland has ‘just scraped a B- overall grade’ in its attempts to address climate change issues.Meanwhile, Wind Energy Ireland has urged the government to provide funding to invest in infrastructure to develop offshore wind energy.Dr. Cara Augustenborg, Assistant Professor, Environmental Policy Programme at UCD and Noel Cunniffe, Chief Executive at Wind Energy Ireland, joined Matt to discuss.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the chat.

Ian Guider, columnist with the Business Post, joined Matt for Monday's business news.They discussed how Aer Lingus is reducing its Dublin-Heathrow service later this year due to passenger numbers not improving since Covid-19 travel restrictions were lifted.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation.

In a strongly worded interview, Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly, outlined the inappropriate material that teenagers are exposed to online and the litany of harms that can be caused to them.He vowed to take social media companies to task over their responsibilities and he vowed to ban social media for under 16 year old.To catch the full conversation, press the play button on this page.If you are concerned about harms caused to your child as a result of content viewed online, you can contact:SamaritansSamaritans services are available 24 hours a day, for confidential, non-judgmental support.Freephone 116 123Visit www.samaritans.ie for more informationPietaPieta provide a range of suicide and self-harm prevention services.Freephone 1800 247 247 anytime day or nightText HELP to 51444 (standard message rates apply)Visit www.pieta.ie for more informationChildlineA free 24/7 support service for children and young people up to and including those age 18 years of age.Freephone 1800 66 66 66Live chat at www.childline.ie

Sarah Slattery from the travelexpert.ie joins The Last Word to discuss some of the best holidays out there for people who want to focus on their health and wellness. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

23% of Leaving Cert candidates did not register for Irish exams this year. It’s the highest figure recorded so far and there has been an increase each year since 2018 where 15% of students received exemptions.Julian de Spáinn, Ard-Rúnaí - Conradh na Gaeilge and Donald Ewing, Head of Education and Policy, Dyslexia Ireland joined Matt to discuss.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the chat.

World Athletics has announced that Bahrain Athletics Association was charged with a number of anti-doping violations before the Paris Olympics, raising the question of why Bahrain's athletics team was allowed to compete?Ian O'Ríordan, athletics correspondent with the Irish Times, joins The Last Word to discuss the investigation and what it could mean for Irish athlete Rhasidat Adeleke.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Electric Picnic sells out, Enoch Burke returns to school and young viewers flock to The Rose of Tralee.Dave Hanratty, host of the No Encore Podcast, and Laura Byrne, column editor and podcast producer with The Journal, join The Last Word to discuss the week's trending news stories.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!