The Last Word with Matt Cooper

Nelofer Pazira-Fisk, documentary-maker and author discusses Night of Power, The Betrayal of the Middle East, written by her late husband, Robert Fisk

John Gibbons is with us for The Last Word on the Environment.Trump is looking likely to win the US election in November, so what will that mean for climate change and environmental protection?Some good news; Ireland managed to reduce its carbon emissions by almost 7% last year.A fire at the world's biggest wetland is spreading, but how will that impact Ireland?Hit 'play' to get all the latest.

Andy O'Donoghue is with us to discuss the big Summer tech products.Carry-on luggage is getting an upgrade, now you can charge your phone with your carry-on bag,The Pocket Talk S Translator is here to save you from awkward moments abroad,To hear all this and more press 'play' now.

With the planned release of Roscommon woman Tori Towey, International human rights lawyer David Haigh joined The Last Word to discuss the real dangers of Dubai.

Sarah McGuinness has this week’s business news.Are first time buyers getting choosing variable or fixed rate mortgages?We get an update on the Aer Lingus pay dispute.Hit 'play' and find out the latest in Irish business news

Playwright Enda Walsh is the latest inductee into the Culture Club, where he picked his favourite music, TV, films, books and loads more.Click the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear his choices.

Independent TD Michael Healy-Rae talks about his impassioned plea in the Dáil yesterday, where he said 'derogatory' images of his late mother were put online.To catch the full conversation, press the 'play' button below.

Nicki Minaj turned up nearly 90 minutes late to her gig at Malahide Castle and only performed a 45 minute set.Fans are outraged and calling for refundsDee Reddy and Dave Hanratty join Matt to give us the inside scoop.

Cal Thomas and Marion McKeone join Matt to discuss Biden's call into MSNBC to stop rumours that he is stepping down. Could he be replaced?And if so, by who?

The government has published its Summer Economic Statement, indicating that €8.3bn will be available for spending in October’s budget.Minister for Finance Jack Chambers spoke to Matt about today’s announcement.Press the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation.

Research conducted by the Economic and Social Research Institute has found that disruption and mess associated with retrofitting residential properties impacts homeowners’ willingness to undertake such projects.Professor John Curtis, Research Professor with the ESRI, joined Matt to explain the findings of the report.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the chat.

Today FM courts correspondent Frank Greaney discusses the updates within the ongoing case of the taxi driver Raymond Shorten as new information has arisen.

Roderic O'Gorman has just been appointed the fourth ever leader of the Green Party in Ireland. He joins Matt to discuss his new role and the state of the party.

Limerick’s bid for a historic 5 All-Ireland hurling titles in a row came to an end on Sunday when Cork defeated them in the semi-final on a 1-28 to 0-29 scoreline. They’ll play Clare in the decider in two weeks’ time after the Banner defeated Kilkenny on Saturday.Matt was joined by former Limerick hurler Joe Quaid and Will O’Callaghan from The Hurling Pod to chat about the games.Matt and Will also reacted to the news that Mickey Harte will step down as Derry manager after one season in charge, and they paid tribute to former Mayo, Leitrim and Galway manager John O'Mahony, who died on Sunday aged 71.Click the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the full conversation.

This week Sarah Slattery, from the travelexpert.ie, is taking us to Norway, Finland and other places to escape extreme heat.To catch up on the conversation, click the 'play' button below...

Sarah McGuinness, Assistant News Editor with the Business Post and environmental commentator John Gibbons joined Matt for the Week Trending.They covered the BBC’s and Channel 4’s coverage of the UK general election, Dublin’s traffic plan and a controversial Newsweek article questioning Taylor Swift's credentials as a role model.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the full chat.

Nick Ferrari, presenter of Nick Ferrari at Breakfast on LBC Radio, joins The Last Word to discuss Labour's landslide victory in the UK general election.Matt is also joined by journalist Amanda Ferguson to outline Northern Ireland's election results and Daniel McConnell, editor of The Business Post, to discuss what all of the results could mean for Anglo-Irish relations.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

New Report says that people are aware of climate change but there is no urgency to do anything about it.John Gibbons joins Matt to discuss the findings from the report.Plus we're busting the myths around electric vehicles.

Have you heard of the new app No Place?Andy O'Donoghue reveals all about the app that's reached number 1 in the app store as well as all tech tech updates to home gym equipment.

Mat Fraser, star of Loudermilk and American Horror Story, talks about the world premiere of Unspeakable Conversations, a play at this year's Galway International Arts Festival.To catch the full conversation press the 'Play' button below.

New figures released by Drinks Ireland have shown that the sale of non-alcoholic beer grew by 18% in 2023, which is an almost 100% increase in market share over the last four years.Ian Guider, Columnist with the Business Post, joined Matt for Thursday’s daily business news.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the full chat.

What updates are there to the investigation into this assault?Security and crime editor for the Irish Times Conor Lally, and Janet Horner, Green Party councillor for Dublin’s North Inner City join Matt to discuss these updates.

Matt is joined by best-selling author Lucy Foley on her latest thriller, Midnight Feast.

Hospitality groups are calling on the Government to reinstate the 9% reduced VAT charge for food services to help them manage increasing costs.Pat Crotty, chief executive of the Vintners Federation of Ireland, and Owen Reidy, general secretary of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, join The Last Word to debate whether hospitality businesses should be on a lower VAT rate.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Revolut has indicated that it will begin offering mortgages in Ireland from as early as next year.In this week’s personal finance slot, Charlie Weston, Personal Finance Editor with the Irish Independent, explained what this could mean for customers.Click the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation.

Marion and Cal join Matt to discuss the impact of the Supreme Court 'immunity' ruling for Trump.Plus what is the fall out after the leaders debate and will the democrats replace Biden after his performance?

John and Dee are chatting all about the amazing list of artists performing over the summer! But will any of them come close to the hype of Taylor Swift?

A new report from the Economic and Social Research Institute has shown that between 35,000 and 53,000 new homes will be needed to cope with population growth in Ireland.Matt was joined by Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien to discuss the findings.Click the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation.

In light of a number of recent court cases the Justice Minister Helen McEntee has said that there is an 'epidemic' of violence against women in Ireland.Noeline Blackwell, solicitor, and Louise Crowley, director of the Bystander Intervention programme, join The Last Word to discuss how gender based violence can be better prevented and how victims can be better supported.Catch the full discussion by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Eimear Higgins has approached Dublin city council to pause the introduction of a traffic management plan due to concerns for the impact on jobs and retail sales in the city. CEO of Dublin Town Richard Guiney and Green party Councillor for Dublin City Council Michael Pidgeon, join Matt to discuss the updates.

What do you think of the RTE summer schedule?Elaine and Joe discuss the number of repeats on the RTE summer schedule, the scathing reviews of season 3 of The Bear and the new 80s movie star documentary.

This week Sarah Slattery, from the travelexpert.ie, is taking us off to Ibiza for this weeks last word on travel.To catch up on the conversation, click the 'play' button below...

French political parties are attempting to create a united front after the National Rally’s victory in the first round of snap elections on Sunday.Journalist and author Lara Marlowe joined Matt to explain the repercussions of this result on a national and European level.Click the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation.

Taylor Swift, Pride, All-Ireland quarter finals and gigs all over the city are expected to bring more than 600,000 people to Dublin this weekend.To discuss this and the rest of the week's trending stories, Today FM's Cathal O'Sullivan and Orla Ryan, news correspondent with TheJournal.ie, join The Last Word.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

There are growing calls for US President Joe Biden to bow out of the presidential race following his performance in a TV debate against Donald Trump.Marion McKeone, US correspondent with the Business Post, and Larry Donnelly, law lecturer at the University of Galway and political columnist with TheJournal.ie, join The Last Word to analyse the first debate between Biden and Trump.Catch the full discussion by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Andy O'Donoghue joins The Last Word to discuss the latest technology to level up summer BBQs and make any outdoor space perfect for entertaining.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

John Gibbons joins the Last Word for our weekly spot on the environment to discuss how climate change could become a threat to sporting activities according to a new study from the UK

Orlando Whitfield, former art dealer and author joins Matt to discuss his new book All That Glitters. Inigo Philbrick, the art dealer who was sentenced to 7 years in prison, is the subject of the novel that uncovers hidden truths about the art world.

The Climate Change Advisory Council has said that a review of taxation on all vehicles must be taken if Ireland is to meet its carbon emission reduction targets.Andrew Murphy, member of the Climate Change Advisory Council, and Kevin McPartlan, CEO of Fuels for Ireland, spoke to Matt about the recommendations that were made.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the full conversation.

Lorcan Allen has this week's business news; The naming rights to Old Trafford might be going up for sale.What will Jack Chambers make with the IBEC joining with The Central Bank?And 80 operational wind farms are being shut down, so how will we still meet environmental targets?

Irvine Welsh, author of Trainspotting, joined The Last Word for the Culture Club to discuss his favourite music, movies, television and more. Press the 'Play' button on this page to hear his choices!

Former Finance Minister Michael McGrath responds to his nomination as the Irish EU Commissioner and reflects on his time at the Department of Finance.To catch the full conversation, press the 'Play' button below.

Figures released by Eurostat have revealed that Ireland is one of the most expensive countries in the European Union for goods and services.Charlie Weston, Personal Finance Editor with the Irish Independent, joined Matt to explain why prices here are 42 per cent higher than the average across Europe.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the full chat.

What are we looking for from Trump and Biden in Thursday's debate?Cal Thomas, and Marion McKeone join Ian to discuss the run up to the first presidential debate.

Conor Gallagher, Crime and Security Correspondent for the Irish Times joins the Last Word to discuss The Irish Defence Force's review into personnel with convictions for gender based and or domestic violence.to catch the full conversation, hit the 'play' button below...

Government has signed off on €20 million in funding for RTÉ after the broadcaster published its new vision for the futureDirector General of RTÉ Kevin Bakhurst joined The Last Word to discuss future funding and the five-year strategy for the organisation.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Legendary GAA commentator Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh has died aged 93. His career began in 1949 when he commentated on the Railway Cup final and continued up to 2010, where he retired after the All-Ireland senior football final between Cork and Down.Ian Guider spoke to Sean Kelly, Fine Gael MEP and former President of the GAA, about the life of an iconic figure in the GAA.Press the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation.

The battle to replace Eamon Ryans as Green Party Leader continues. Ian speak to Pippa Hackett on her campaign for the role.

As we hit the half way point of 2024, Elaine Burke and Joe O'Shea join us to discuss the best that TV and streaming has had to offer so far this year.To catch the full discussion, press the 'play' button below...

Film-maker and novelist Neil Jordan talks about his life and experience of working in Hollywood and his latest book, Amnesiac: A Memoir.To catch the full conversation, press the 'Play' button below.