The Last Word with Matt Cooper

John Caddell and Dee Reddy joined Matt to discuss the week’s biggest music stories including Beyoncé’s Dubai concert and Madonna’s world tour. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Marion McKeone and Larry Donnelly joined Matt to discuss the week’s biggest US news stories including the tragic mass shootings in California and classified documents found at Mike Pence’s home. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

It’s the biggest year ever for Irish film talent at the Oscars with 14 nominations across a wide range of categories. Martin McDonagh's The Banshees of Inisherin is nominated for nine awards and An Cáilín Ciúin is up for Best International Film. Roe McDermott joined Matt to discuss which of the Irish nominees are likely to take home an Oscar. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Injuring the Achilles is very common and can be extremely painful. It can often be a problem for people who have just returned to exercise. Dr. Brian Higgins joined Matt on The Last Word to explain what Achilles tendinopathy is and how it can be prevented. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Following a defeat to West Ham at the weekend, Frank Lampard has been sacked as Everton manager. The team now sit in 19th place in the Premier League table. Mark Lawrenson, Tony Cascarino and Miguel Delaney joined us to discuss this as well as what is different about Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal team this season following an impressive victory over Manchester United. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Taxi booking service Free Now has ended its sponsorship of RTE’s The Tommy Tiernan Show following a joke the comedian made at one of his recent shows at Vicar Street. On The Last Word Elaine Burke & Joe O’Shea discussed the fallout from the incident, as well as a Fine Gael TD comparing Irish band Sprints to “slightly embarrassed TY students”. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Is your boss or colleague bothering you in the workplace? Have you found that your office has become hostile? If it has, how can you help improve it for yourself and those around you? Gabriella Braun, author of All That We Are, spoke to Matt about what to do when conflict arises and how best to approach an awkward situation at work. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

If you’re hoping to book a holiday abroad this summer and want to get the most for your money, Sarah Slattery from TheTravelExpert.ie has the answer! She joined us to look at the best value locations for heading overseas with the family. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Both rural and urban GAA clubs are facing different challenges that need to be addressed to support the game’s development. This has been highlighted in a series of reports in the Irish Times this week. Sean Moran, GAA correspondent with Irish Times joined Matt to discuss what is happening in rural and urban clubs across the country. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

The new electric vehicle charging strategy launched by Minister Eamon Ryan this week was a “missed opportunity” to address concerns about e-scooter use, according to Irish accessibility groups. Matt was joined by Lorna Fitzpatrick from the National Council for the Blind of Ireland and Aisling Dunne, public policy officer with Bolt to discuss.

Jack Horgan Jones and Orla Ryan joined Matt to look at the other stories making headlines this week including the decision to continue serving pints in the Aviva, and the price of a hot chocolate and éclair in Bewley's on Grafton Street. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Electric vehicle charging stations could become more readily available for drivers as a new national strategy aims to have one situated every 60km. However, is this target achievable, and will it put pressure on the national grid? Aoife O’Grady, Head of ZEVI, and motoring journalist Geraldine Herbert joined Matt to discuss. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Following Wednesday’s discussion on pass/fail rates for garda fitness tests, Conor Lally of The Irish Times and Damien McCarthy from the Garda Representative Association joined us to discuss how morale within the gardaí is at an all time low. So, what can be done in order to entice more people to join the force? Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Are you finding that you’re picking up injuries while exercising? Dr. Brian Higgins from Galway Primary Care joined us to explain why that may happen, what injuries are most common and why sometimes less is more when building up your fitness. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

On our weekly Environment slot, John Gibbons gave his views on Green Party leader Eamon Ryan's suggestion that there should be a nationwide cull of deer in order to restore biodiversity in Ireland. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

It’s expected that almost 70,000 Ukrainian refugees could come to Ireland in 2023. Matt is joined by Minister of State for Community Development, Integration and Charities Joe O’Brien to discuss how to manage the continued influx of refugees. For the full chat click the 'Play' button on this page.

Credit card users often have little understanding of how they work and the interest they pay according to a survey commissioned by the Irish League of Credit Unions. Charlie Weston joined Matt to discuss what hidden charges people should be aware of when using a credit card. For the full chat click the 'Play' button on this page.

One-sixth of garda applicants failed the basic fitness tests they must complete before becoming members of the force last year. Fianna Fáil TD Jim O’Callaghan says the tests are too demanding and result in recruits being excluded from the process. Deputy O’Callaghan and President of the Garda Representative Association Brendan O’Connor joined Matt to discuss whether the tests should be made easier. For the full chat click the 'Play' button on this page.

The Kindle Scribe is a new take on e-readers. So, what does it do and why is it so popular? Andy O’Donoghue joined Matt on The Last Word to explain what the Kindle Scribe is all about. For the full chat click the 'Play' button on this page.

Brit Award nominations were released this week and no women have been included in the shortlist for best artist. Dee Reddy and Dave Hanratty joined Matt on The Last Word to discuss this along with the other biggest music stories of the week. For the full chat click the 'Play' button on this page.

New ESRI research has found that extending free GP care to everyone within three years can be done and would cost up to €881 million. But will there be enough GPs to care for people? Priscilla Lynch, clinical editor at the Medical Independent, and Monaghan GP Illona Duffy joined Matt on The Last Word to discuss whether free GP care for all is really possible. For the full chat click the 'Play' button on this page.

Marion McKeone joined Matt to talk about the biggest US news stories of the week including more classified documents in President Biden’s home and what’s happening with New York congressman George Santos. For the full chat click the 'Play' button on this page.

After Manchester City suffered a setback in their Premier League title defence, Matt spoke to Tony Cascarino and Mark Lawrenson about why Guardiola’s side is losing momentum. In North London, Arsenal extended their lead at the top of the table by beating Tottenham. So, does this result now make them genuine title contenders? For the full chat click the 'Play' button on this page.

The Irish Property Owners Association has urged the government to provide incentives to private landlords in order to prevent a predicted “exodus” from the rental market. Matt spoke to the IPOA’s Chairperson, Mary Conway, and Karl Deeter of the Irish Mortgage Brokers and asked whether such a move would have the desired effect. For the full chat click the 'Play' button on this page.

Are you planning a holiday later this year? Sarah Slattery from TheTravelExpert.ie has all the best tips and tricks to ensure you get the most out of your money when organising a break in 2023 For the full chat click the 'Play' button on this page.

Will you be watching this year’s winter Love Island? It returns to our screens on Monday night with Maya Jama taking over hosting duties. Meanwhile, Elaine Burke and Joe O’Shea discussed the hotly-anticipated ‘The Last Of Us’, which has been widely praised by critics ahead of its release. For the full chat click the 'Play' button on this page.

Independent TD Michael Fitzmaurice and Mark Carlin, Managing Director at Coillte joined Matt on The Last Word to discuss the possibility of thousands of acres of land across rural Ireland being sold to the Gresham House fund in order to meet Ireland’s climate targets. For the full chat click the 'play' button on this page.

Matt was joined by Mark Lawrenson & Tony Cascarino to look ahead to a busy weekend of Premier League action. Manchester United host Manchester City on Saturday, while Arsenal travels to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday. Meanwhile, can Chelsea bounce back from their defeat to Fulham when they play Crystal Palace? For the full chat click the 'play' button on this page.

Roe McDermott, Hot Press movie editor & Irish Times Columnist and Eoghan Tomas McDermott, MD at the Communications Clinic were on Friday's panel for The Week Trending. They covered the fallout from Prince Harry’s book, the death of Lisa Marie Presley and Kevin Spacey pleading not guilty to sexual assault, among other stories which caught their attention over the last 7 days. For the full chat press the 'play' button on this page.

A recent study from the school of nursing and midwifery at Trinity College Dublin found that there’s been a steady rise in first-time mothers giving birth via caesarean section. Dr. Brian Higgins from Galway Primary Care explained the reasons behind these figures on this week’s The Last Word on Health. For the full chat click the 'play' button on this page.

On The Last Word’s weekly environment slot, John Gibbons spoke to Matt about an assessment from the World Meteorological Organisation which said that the Earth’s ozone layer is on track to fully recover by 2066. They also covered a recent report which found that Dublin was ranked the 5th most congested in Europe, and the 12th worst globally. For the full chat click the 'play' button on this page.

Fine Gael junior minister Damien English resigned on Thursday after it was revealed he gave incorrect information when making a planning application to a local authority to build a house in a rural area. Brendan O’Sullivan, Head of the Planning School at UCC discussed whether Mr. English’s house should be demolished. Meanwhile Daniel McConnell, Political Editor of the Irish Examiner explained the significance of the resignation for the government. For the full chat click the play button on this page.

As further anti-refugee demonstrations were organised in parts of the country, Matt was joined by Brendan Ogle, Senior Officer at Unite and John Lannon, Chief Executive of Doras to discuss whether legitimate protests will be hijacked by the far-right. For the full chat click the 'play' button on this page.

This week marks one year since the killing of schoolteacher Ashling Murphy. Her death sparked calls to improve women’s safety in Ireland. Noeline Blackwell from the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre and Professor Louise Crowley from UCC’s School of Law and director of the Bystander Intervention Programme joined Matt to discuss whether any progress has been made on this in the last year. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

The Banshees of Inisherin saw huge success at the 2023 Golden Globes, winning three awards. Roe McDermott, movies editor with Hot Press joined Matt on The Last Word to discuss the likelihood of Martin McDonagh’s tragicomedy winning at the Oscars and what films are its biggest competitors. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Almost 7 in 10 people are unaware of a new tax credit brought in with the last budget, according to a survey carried out by Taxback.com. Charlie Weston joined Matt to discuss. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

ChatGPT is a new AI-chatbot launched late last year which can write stories, poems and coding solutions. But questions are now being raised about the use and boundaries of AI. Andy O'Donoghue joined Matt to explain what ChatGPT can do and why there are concerns about it. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

There were 534 people waiting for a bed in hospitals this morning as pressure on the health care system continues. Dr. Chris Luke, former emergency medicine consultant joined Matt to discuss measures he believes would help to fix the Irish health service. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

There's been a lot of anticipation for Prince Harry's memoir but with so many scandalous stories being leaked before it's published you might wonder if the book is even worth reading. Journalist Lise Hand joined Matt to give her review of 'Spare'. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Cal Thomas and Larry Donnelly joined Matt to discuss the latest stories from the US including a six-year-old shooting his teacher and classified files found at Biden's think-tank office. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Defeat to Manchester City in the FA Cup third round means that Chelsea have now been eliminated from both domestic competitions, while also sitting in 10th place in the Premier League table. Miguel Delaney and Tony Cascarino joined us to analyse where it’s gone wrong for Graham Potter’s side so far this season. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

It's been reported that John Lydon wants to represent Ireland at this year’s Eurovision Song Contest in Liverpool. Elaine Burke and Joe O’Shea joined Matt to discuss this, along with Prince Harry’s interview on ITV ahead of the release of his autobiography ‘Spare’.

Matt was joined by Ellen Cullen, Chairperson of the Dublin Cycling Campaign to talk about new infrastructure plans that are due to be introduced in the coming years which aim to provide safer facilities for cyclists and pedestrians. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Sarah Slattery from TheTravelExpert.ie joined Matt for our weekly travel slot to highlight the new routes that are available from Irish airports to holidaymakers this year. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Teacher and Irish Examiner columnist Jennifer Horgan is calling for schools to get rid of homework saying it is an attack on childhood. Jennifer joined Matt on The Last Word to discuss why she thinks there should be little to no homework until students are in 5th year. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Munster and the IRFU have confirmed that out-half Ben Healy will leave the province at the end of this season to go to Edinburgh. Billy Holland and Cian Tracey joined Matt to discuss whether Ireland will regret losing the 23-year-old, and the prospect of facing him in the Six Nations. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Mairead Cleary, Bauer Media news reporter and Mick Clifford, special correspondent with the Irish Examiner joined Matt to discuss the other stories making headlines this week including Prince Harry's book, dung being thrown at politicians and Andrew Tate. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

John Gibbons outlined why Europe is experiencing record warm winter temperatures, and the consequences of these changes, including ski resorts without any snow. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Whether at home or abroad, Sarah Slattery from TheTravelExpert.ie has a comprehensive list of travel deals for all budgets. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

It’s that time of year when people set goals for their health and fitness, but many resolutions are not sustainable in the long term. Dr. Brian Higgins, GP at Galway Primary Care outlined attainable health goals and plans for the year ahead. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.