The Last Word with Matt Cooper

Donald Trump has reportedly decided to ditch tomorrow's Republican debate to record an interview with Tucker Carlson. Cal Thomas, Nationally Syndicated Columnist, and Marion McKeone, US Correspondent with The Business Post joined The Last Word to discuss. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

What should you be looking out for to avoid sending a sick child to school this September? Dr. Brian Higgins, GP from Galway Primary Care joined The Last Word to discuss. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Statements have been released today by both Manchester United FC and Mason Greenwood confirming the player will not return to the club. Mark Lawrenson and Tony Cascarino joined The Last Word to discuss. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Lucy Letby has received the rare sentence of full life in prison, meaning she will never be released. Tristan Kirk, Courts Correspondent for The Evening Standard in London joined The Last Word to discuss. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Following the latest in a series of violent events in Dublin city centre, Gardaí plan to meet with local business owners to address ongoing safety concerns. Richard Guiney, Chief Executive at Dublin Town, and Conor Lally, Security and Crime Editor with The Irish Times joined The Last Word to discuss. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Have you ever considered going Island hopping in Greece? Sarah Slattery joined The Last Word to chat everything you need to know for the trip of a lifetime. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Mark Lawrenson and Miguel Delaney joined The Last Word to give their predictions for the weekend's biggest football fixtures. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Shelbourne Hotel Sommelier, Nisea Doddy joined The Last Word to discuss her recommendations for the best wines to close out the summer! See her full list below. Trimbach Pinot Blanc Alsace (white) The Bee and the Flower Galicia (white) Ros Rose Navarra (rose) Drouhin Beaujolais Village (red) Jasci Montepulciano d’Abrusso (red) All available to buy. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Sarah McGuinness, Assistant News Editor with The Business Post, and Ben Finnegan, News Anchor with Today FM joined The Last Word to discuss the biggest stories of the week, including rumoured format changes for The Late Late Show! Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Man Utd have set a date for the reintegration of Mason Greenwood into the club. Noeline Blackwell, CEO of the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, and Kieran Cunningham, Chief Sports Writer with The Irish Daily Star joined The Last Word to discuss. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Legendary television presenter Michael Parkinson has sadly passed away at the age of 88. Former Late Late Show producer John Masterson joined The Last Word to discuss. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Have you heard of greenwashing or greenshifting? Why are they so dangerous? Environmental Journalist and Commentator John Gibbons joined The Last Word to discuss. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Questions are being asked about the Garda response to Bank of Ireland's major technical glitch earlier this week. Liam Herrick, Executive Director with the Irish Council For Civil Liberties joined The Last Word to discuss. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

What are the findings of Grant Thornton's second report into the circumstances surrounding RTÉ's recent payment controversy? Ian Guider joined The Last Word to discuss. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

According to CSO figures, Dublin house prices fell by 0.9% in June. Does this mean we have seen the peak for house prices in Dublin? Marian Finnegan, Managing Director of Residential and Advisory at Sherry Fitzgerald joined The Last Word to discuss. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Bank Of Ireland has issued an apology following a bizarre event last night which allowed some customers to withdraw up to €1,000 in surplus of their balance. What caused this glitch? Andy O’Donoghue, Tech Journalist, and Brendan Burgess, Consumer Advocate and founder of askaboutmoney.com joined The Last Word to discuss. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Donald Trump is facing a fourth indictment over attempts to overturn his 2020 general election defeat in Georgia. Cal Thomas, Nationally Syndicated Columnist and Marion McKeone, US Correspondent with The Business Post joined The Last Word to discuss. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

According to Eurostat survey figures, 68% of Irish adults aged between 25 and 29 are still living in their family home. Dylan Cagney, a 28 year old living at home, and Senator Annie Hoey joined The Last Word to discuss. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Hemochromatosis is an inherited condition that involves a gradual build up of iron stores, due to an inability to properly break down that iron. Ireland has the highest rate of this condition in the world. Dr. Illona Duffy joined The Last Word to discuss. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Ryan Tubridy is reportedly in urgent meetings with RTÉ about the future of his career with the national broadcaster. Joe O’Shea and Elaine Burke joined The Last Word to discuss. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Four tourists in their twenties from the UK were attacked in Temple Bar on Saturday night. A teenager has been arrested in relation to the incident and appeared in court today before being released on bail. Conor Lally, Crime & Security Editor with The Irish Times, and Trina O’Connor, Criminologist & Host of the Real Lives Untold podcast joined The Last Word to discuss. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

After a long summer for parents trying to keep young children entertained while on school holidays, Sarah Slattery has some suggestions for things to do with the kids over the remainder of the school break. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Journalist Lise Hand and Mick Clifford, Special Correspondent with The Irish Examiner joined The Last Word to catch up on all of the biggest stories from the last week, including the recent Wild Youth controversy. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Week after week it has been reported there has been a shortfall in TV license revenue. Is it all down to RTÉ's recent controversey? Finola Doyle-O’Neill, Broadcast & Legal Historian at UCC, and Paul Murphy, People Before Profit TD joined The Last Word to discuss. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

With interest rates increasing, is it time to introduce mortgage interest relief? Sean Canney, Independent TD for Galway East and part of the Regional Independent Group, and Professor Edgar Morgenroth, Professor of Economics at DCU Business School joined The Last Word to discuss. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

John Gibbons joined The Last Word to clear up some of the popular myths around climate change and the transition to renewable energies. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Andy O’Donoghue joined The Last Word to discuss the latest innovations in the world of smartphone apps! See below for his full list of recommendations. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page. Shabaam Shabaam is a unique app that elevates the GIF-sharing experience. While GIFs have become a popular way to express emotions and reactions online, Shabaam takes it a step further by allowing users to add their own voice or sound effects to their favorite GIFs. The result is a short video that combines visual and auditory elements for a more engaging and personalized message. Whether it's adding commentary, a joke, or any sound of your choice, Shabaam provides a fresh twist to the traditional GIF. Yarn Yarn offers a novel storytelling experience tailored for the mobile generation. Instead of traditional narratives, Yarn presents stories in a text message format, giving users the sensation of peeking into someone else's conversations. The app boasts a diverse library of stories spanning genres like mystery, romance, comedy, and sci-fi. With daily updates and a unique presentation style, Yarn provides a fresh and immersive way to enjoy stories on the go. Forest by Seekrtech - sort of a Tamagotchi for productivity! Forest is more than just a productivity app; it's a motivation tool that encourages users to stay focused on their tasks. The concept is simple: plant a virtual tree and watch it grow as you work. However, if you get distracted and leave the app, the tree withers and dies. Over time, users can grow a virtual forest, symbolizing their accumulated focus and productivity. For an added touch of real-world impact, the app partners with Trees for the Future, allowing users to plant real trees through their virtual achievements. Noisli Noisli is a sound generator designed to enhance focus, relaxation, and productivity. Recognizing that everyone has their own preferred background noise, Noisli allows users to mix and match various sounds, such as rain, wind, waves, and birdsong, to create their ideal ambiance. Whether it's to drown out distractions, set the mood for relaxation, or create a conducive work environment, Noisli offers a customizable and immersive sound experience. Make A Cocktail Make A Cocktail is the first App developed by Make Me A Cocktail, probably the world’s biggest online cocktail resource, with over 3,500 recipes and a growing community of cocktail-making, home bar enthusiasts from around the world. Enter the ingredients you have in front of you, from all the spirits and mixers in your cupboard to juices and wine in the fridge and even add stranger ingredients like eggs if you have them! The app shows you cocktails you can make right now, with simple to follow recipes! Browse the cocktails by base spirit or type or have a go at the featured cocktail of the day! Tasty Over 3000 Tasty recipes now at your fingertips; an all-new Step-By-Step instruction mode; ‘My Recipes’ page which serves as your very own mobile cookbook, and an innovative Search tool that allows you to filter by any ingredients, cuisine and social occasion you’re in the mood for! OpenTable The OpenTable app is a one-stop-shop for everything dining, but is best known as the booking system used by restaurants, so it's ideal for using if you're on holidays or travelling. Kindle App The Kindle app is Amazon's official e-reader application that allows users to access and read their Kindle e-books on various devices without needing a physical Kindle device.

Is public enthusiasm for converting to electric vehicles dimming? Neil Briscoe, Motoring Journalist with The Irish Times and CompleteCar.ie, and Geraldine Herbert, Motoring Editor and Columnist with The Sunday Independent joined The Last Word to discuss. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

The average interest rate on new mortgage agreements in Ireland went above 4% in June. This is the highest level in over two decades. Charlie Weston joined The Last Word to discuss. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

The Government has published a review of a new 7 pillar AI strategy, which will aim to "build public trust". Dara Calleary, Minister for Trade Promotion, Digital and Company Regulation joined The Last Word to discuss. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Our weekly music slot continues with John Caddell and Dee Reddy. Sinéad O'Connor being laid to rest, Lizzo defending her name in the wake of allegations, and music from Liam Gallagher was on the agenda today. Catch the full chat by pressing the Play button on this page.

Can you be racist to a white person? Has political correctness gone too far? What's wrong with dog whistles? Are we responsible for structural injustice? That's a sample from the book called Arguing for a Better World. Arianne Shahvisi, the book's author joined The Last Word. Catch the full chat by pressing the Play button on this page.

In a post on Truth Social, Donald Trump claims that wokeness cost the US Women's Soccer Team their place in the World Cup. Marion Mckeone, US Correspondent with the Business Post and Cal Thomas, nationally syndicated columnist joined The Last Word to discuss. Catch the full chat by pressing the Play button on this page.

Dermot Whelan, one-half of Dermot and Dave on Today FM, is leaving the station after 9 years. Before that, himself and his radio partner spent 12 years on 98FM in Dublin. The pair have spent 21 years together and as it's due to come to an end, Dermot joined The Last Word to discuss. Catch the full chat by pressing the Play button on this page.

Chris Sherlock was bullied in school to the point where he left before he completed his Junior Cert. Ever since then Chris has been trying to piece his life back together. He’s 31 now and joined Matt Cooper on The Last Word to discuss his journey. Catch the full chat by pressing the Play button on this page. Chris Sherlock, anti-bullying campaigner

We're back with our week trending, this week we're looking at Lizzo, Whether or not Ireland is becoming a tourist hot spot and if warnings should be added to processed food packages. Breda Brown, Co-founder of Unique Media and Eoghan Thomas McDermot, MD Communications Clinic join Matt to discuss. For the full chat click the 'Play' button on this page.

Don't let the rain stop you and the fam from having that outdoor family BBQ. Pat Conway from Smokin' Soul joins Matt to cover his go-to rainy-day BBQ recipes. All full recipes can be found below. For the full chat click the 'Play' button on this page. Not the normal Chicken Wings This recipe is a complete break from the norm to more mainstream hot/spicy or bbq wings. Ingredients 250 g Parmesan 2 tsp Chilli Flake 1 cup flat-leaf Parsley 75g Butter ½ cup Honey 1 kilo of chicken wings Directions Take your chicken wings and cook offset on your bbq at 180c until the core temp reaches 85 degrees, at this point the meat is getting ready to come away from the bone. This could take 45 mins. The wings are not seasoned OR marinated in any fashion at this point. You can take the wings and sear over the flames should you wish. Having reached the desired temp begin to put the wings into a large bowl with the rest of the ingredients except the butter and honey, as the wings are added to the mix keep stirring the contents of the bowl. Make sure as each new batch of wings that are added gets coated evenly. Keep repeating the processes until all the wings are in the bowl and there is no ingredient left at the bottom of the bowl. Now add the butter and honey and make sure all the wings are equally covered, serve immediately and enjoy. Smokin' Soul BBQ Sauce One of the most divisive recipes in Smokin' Soul history. Jim and I spent years playing with different versions and variants of bbq sauce. BBQ sauce when done well is a joy to behold, when done incorrectly it is horrendous. This is our everyday sauce, do make this week in advance, it is so much better once matured. Ingredients 5 kg Ketchup (average quality will do, don't use very vinegar-heavy ketchup.) 4 cups brown sugar 1 cup Worcester sauce 1/3 cup of American mustard 2 cups apple juice 1/3 cup garlic powder 1 cup apple cider vinegar Tablespoon of cayenne Tablespoon of salt 2 Tablespoons cracked black pepper Tablespoon paprika ½ tablespoon cumin ½ tablespoon coriander Directions In a large pot mix all ingredients together. Bring to a simmer very slowly, the slower the better. Keep the contents of the pot stirred regularly as the sugar will try to sink to the bottom and will burn to the base of the pot and ruin the sauce. Cool and decant to containers of your choice, and refrigerate. Due to the preservatives present in the ketchup, the sauce will keep indefinitely once refrigerated. Do allow the sauce time to come together, hence making a big match means the sauce gets a chance to mature and becomes better over time. Cauliflower steaks Soak a head of Cauliflower in water for an hour. Remove the Cauliflower and coat in a hot sauce of your choice, I like to mix sriracha and a lousiana vinegar-based hot sauce together for this. Put a dry rub of your choice on Cauliflower next, there are many options out there or you can make your own. Put it into your bbq and cook offset until it's tender. Remove and slice in inch-thick slices.

With only 5 weeks to go till the start of the Rugby World Cup, Ireland's pre-season training is in full swing with Italy being the first guests this week. Matt Williams joins Matt to discuss. For the full chat click the 'Play' button on this page.

The Government's National Risk Assessment report has identified a number of rising concerns for the country, including war and AI. Elaine Loughlin, Political Editor with The Irish Examiner, and Declan Power, Security & Defence Analyst joined The Last Word to discuss. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Greenpeace have accused the UK Government of sabotaging their climate commitments following recent decisions made by Prime Minister Sunak with regards to North Sea oil extraction licenses. Sadbh O’Neill, Co-ordinator at Stop Climate Chaos Coalition joined The Last Word to discuss. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

With the school year approaching, what tech can you invest in to make to process smoother? Andy O’Donoghue joined The Last Word to discuss. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

How has Google's presence economically impacted Ireland over the last 20 years? Andy O’Donoghue and Elaine Burke joined The Last Word to discuss. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Novelist Claire Kilroy joined us this week for the Culture Club! She spoke to Matt about music, films, books and more. Her latest book is called Soldier Sailor and is available now. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Over the long weekend, you may find yourself in a position where a food truck is an option for your lunch or dinner! Russell Alford from GastroGays and food critic with The Sunday Times joined The Last Word to give his recommendations and help you make the right choice. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Donald Trump faces new legal charges, revealed last night over attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election. Cal Thomas, Nationally Syndicated Columnist, and Larry Donnelly from the School of Law at the University of Galway joined The Last Word to discuss. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Food inflation seems set to continue with percentage rises to potentially hit double digits over the next year. Charlie Weston, Personal Finance Editor with The Irish Independent joined The Last Word to discuss. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Over a 12 month period, Diageo's net sales in Ireland have increased by around 16%. Ian Guider, Business Columnist with The Business Post joined The Last Word to discuss. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Joe Biden has publicly acknowledged his seventh grandchild, Navy Joan Roberts for the first time. Cal Thomas, Nationally Syndicated Columnist, and Marion McKeone, US Correspondent with The Business Post joined The Last Word to discuss. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Fibromyalgia is a pain disorder which can affect 1 in every 50 people. What should you look out for, and how is it diagnosed? Dr. Brian Higgins, GP from Galway Primary Care joined The Last Word to discuss. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

A bigger and brighter moon known as a 'super moon' may be visible in the sky tonight. A 'blue moon' will also take place later this month. What does this mean, and how can you best observe it? David Moore from Astronomy Ireland joined The Last Word to discuss. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.