The Last Word with Matt Cooper

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!

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.

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!

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!

Author Paul Howard has released the final installment of the Ross O’Carroll-Kelly series, ‘Don’t Look Back in Ongar’.He spoke to Matt about why he’s decided to end the series after 24 novels.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation

'It End With Us', a new film starring Blake Lively based on the hit novel by Colleen Hoover, has been plunged into controversy following its release earlier this month.Roe McDermott, movies editor from Hot Press, joins The Last Word to explain the controversy surrounding the movie and discuss the week's other movie news.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

US vice presidential candidate Tim Walz delivered his acceptance speech on night three of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.Former House speaker Nancy Pelosi and Oprah Winfrey were also among the guests on Wednesday.Lorcan Nyhan, Head of Training at the Communications Clinic, joined Matt to assess their performances.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation.

John Gibbons was back for this week’s environment slot and he spoke to Matt about how a study from the Lancet Public Health journal suggested that the number of deaths caused by extreme heat and cold could rise in the future.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation.

Mobile phones could be banned in secondary schools under plans being considered by the Minister for Education Norma Foley.Rachel Harper, principal of St Patrick's National School in Greystones, and Jennifer Horgan, secondary school teacher and columnist for the Irish Examiner, join The Last Word to discuss the proposal.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page?

Ahead of the release of the latest album from The Devlins, Peter Devlin joined Matt to talk about his favourite music, movies, books, TV shows and more.To catch the full conversation, press the play button on this page.

VHI has announced it will increase the price of its health insurance plans for the second time this year. It follows a similar price increase announcement from Laya Healthcare.Dermot Goode, head of the Healthcare Division at Lockton Insurance Brokers, joins The Last Word to explain what's going on in the private health insurance market.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Ailbhe Smyth, feminist and LGBTQ+ activist, joins The Last Word to discuss the legacy of Nell McCafferty who has died aged 80.There are also excerpts from a 2018 interview with the journalist and feminist campaigner who spoke to The Last Word ahead of the abortion referendum.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Minister for Education Norma Foley spoke to Matt about free school books, teacher shortages and her plans to ban smart phones in secondary schools.To catch the full conversation, press the 'play' button on this page.

Journalist, author and activist Nell McCafferty has died aged 80, her family has announced.Born in Derry in 1944, McCafferty was a founding member of the Irish Women’s Liberation Movement and spent her life campaigning for women’s rights and against social injustices.She spoke to Matt in 2018 about why she was voting ‘Yes’ in the abortion referendum.Revisit the interview here by hitting the ‘Play’ button on this page.

Comedian Shane Daniel Byrne spoke to Matt from the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, where he is debuting his show Trouble Denim, before it comes to the Peacock stage in September.To catch the full conversation, press the 'play' button on this page.

US President Joe Biden has passed the baton to the Democratic nominee Kamala Harris in an emotional farewell speech at the party's national convention.Marion McKeone, US correspondent with the Business Post, and Larry Donnelly, law lecturer at University of Galway and political columnist with The Journal, join The Last Word to discuss the Democratic National Convention and more news stories from the United States.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Fiona O’Malley, CEO of Turn2Me, joined Matt to discuss the signs of working in a toxic environment and how it can impact an employee’s wellbeing.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation.

Miguel Delaney and Mark Lawrenson join The Last Word to review the first weekend of the Premier League season.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Ahead of the 2024 Budget, Kevin McPartlan, CEO of Fuels for Ireland joins Matt to discuss how 8 cents per liter could be added to some fuel pricesFor the full conversation, hit the 'play' button below...

On this week's edition of our travel slot, Sarah Slattery from thetravelexpert.ie joins Matt to delve deeper into Brooklyn as well as to point some brand new attractions that might pique your fancy across the Big Apple

As the Premier League returns, Tony Cascarino, Mark Lawrenson and Miguel Delaney join The Last Word to look ahead at the coming season.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Young people could be offered €750 to stay in Ireland, the world's worst breakdancer breaks her silence and Liz Truss is upstaged by a lettuce (again).Sarah McGuinness, assistant news editor with the Business Post, and Lorcan Nyhan, head of training at the Communications Clinic, join The Last Word to discuss the week's biggest trending stories.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

To further your education on inflammatory bowel disease and the differences between it and irritable bowel disease, Ciaran Davis and Victoria Spillane, board member with Crohn’s and Colitis Ireland and person with Crohn's Disease join The Last WordTo catch the full conversation, press the 'play' button below...

Are you one of those people who has sworn you’ll learn a new language but just never have the time to get to a class, or do you want to help your kids with their Spanish or French lessons?Andy O’Donoghue had this rundown of the best language learning apps, online resources and smart translators on the market.To catch the full conversation, press the ‘play’ button below.

On this week’s environment slot, John Gibbons talked to Mario Rosenstock about Electric Picnic’s aims to go green and why Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s interview was described as “the dumbest climate conversation of all time”.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation.

Ireland’s first e-scooter sharing scheme has been launched in Wexford.The scheme is a collaboration between e-scooter sharing platform Bolt and Wexford County Council.Aisling Dunne, head of public policy with Bolt, joined The Last Word to explain how the scooter rental works.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Bill Whelan, the composer of Riverdance, joins The Last Word to discuss his favourite music, books, tv, movies and more.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

New food trends are constantly popping up on social media and while some are super useful, others can be a complete food fad.Russell Alford from the Gastrogays joins The Last Word to discuss the trends that are worth the hype and what should be ignored.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

At least 11 inmates from the Portlaoise Prison were hospitalised after a suspected drugs overdose yesterday. Conor Lally, Crime and Security Editor with the Irish Times and Saoirse Brady, Executive Director, Irish Penal Reform Trust discuss the issue of overcrowding and drug taking in prison.To catch the full conversation, press the 'play' button below.

The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) said that Ryanair and Eir were the two most complained about companies when consumers contacted them in the first 6 months of 2024.Charlie Weston, Personal Finance Editor with the Irish Independent, joined Mario Rosenstock for The Last Word’s weekly personal finance slot to discuss this.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation.

Cal Thomas, nationally syndicated US columnist, and Larry Donnelly, law lecturer at the University of Galway and political columnist with The Journal, join The Last Word to discuss Elon Musk's interview with Donald Trump and more of the week's biggest stories from the United States.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Sunday Times restaurant critic and one half of The Gastro Gays, Russell Alford, joined Mario Rosenstock to give the best tips and tricks for preparing the perfect barbeque.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the chat.