The Last Word with Matt Cooper

Independent experts have been appointed to oversee a process of restorative justice for survivors of historical abuse at schools run by the Spiritan Congregation. The process was started by a group of past pupils of Blackrock College in Dublin. We spoke to Corry MacMahon and John Coulter, who outlined how they got to this point and how the restorative process will work. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Brianna Parkins and Kieran Cunningham joined Matt on The Last Word to discuss the other stories making headlines this week including a ban on the sale of alcohol at World Cup stadiums in Qatar and whether having more women in power would help solve the climate crisis. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Dr. Brian Higgins, GP at Galway Primary Care joined Ian Guider to discuss weight loss injections and their effectiveness as an alternative treatment for obesity. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Fianna Fáil TD Christopher O’Sullivan and John Gibbons covered the global population surpassing 8 billion, and why that could be a bad thing for the environment. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Toll charges on Irish roads will increase by up to 60% in the new year. Geraldine Herbert & Peadar Toibin spoke to Ian Guider on The Last Word about what this could mean for motorists. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

With the 2022 FIFA World Cup only days away, Sam Rowe from Amnesty International Ireland and Will O’Callaghan of Off The Ball joined Ian Guider to talk about the controversies surrounding the tournament, and whether fans should boycott it due to its poor record on human rights issues. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Aisha tells the story of a young Nigerian woman who is in limbo within the Direct Provision system in Ireland and her friendship with security guard Conor. Film director Frank Berry joined us to discuss his inspiration for the film, the research he undertook, and working with actors Letitia Wright (Black Panther) and John O’Connor (The Crown). Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Following disappointing midterm results for the Republican Party and many candidates backed by Donald Trump, the former US president has announced plans for a third White House run. Cal Thomas and Marion McKeone discussed the upcoming Republican nomination battle. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

The profits of motor insurers are continuing to surge, but customers are only getting tiny premium cuts according to the latest figures. Charlie Weston, Personal Finance Editor of the Irish Independent has all the details. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Matt was joined by Jack Chambers TD, Government Chief Whip & Minister of State for Sport, the Gaeltacht & Defence to discuss the Cabinet signing off on a bid for Ireland to be a joint host of the 2028 European football championship. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

John Caddell & Dave Hanratty joined us to review ‘Only the Strong Survive’, the latest album from Bruce Springsteen, and predicted what fans can expect to hear from Dermot Kennedy’s upcoming album ‘Sonder’. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Nora Twomey, animator, screenwriter and director spoke to The Last Word about ‘My Father’s Dragon’, which was released on Netflix on November 4th. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

This week’s US slot with Cal Thomas and Marion McKeone focused on what former US President Donald Trump’s latest announcement could mean for the 2024 election. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Former Republic of Ireland manager Martin O'Neill joined Matt to discuss his life, career and new autobiography, On Days Like These. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Ireland's Fittest Family could be the next prime time RTE show to be axed due to budget cuts. Joe O'Shea and Elaine Burke joined us to discuss this and more. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

On our weekly glimpse into the world of travel, Sarah Slattery from thetravelexpert.ie joins Matt to discuss Roman holidays. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Cervical cancer campaigner Vicky Phelan passed away today aged 48. In September 2020, she joined Matt to talk about her favourite music, movies, and books, her passions and inspirations. You can listen to that Culture Club interview by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Tony Cascarino and Mark Lawrenson joined Matt to discuss this weekend's Premiere League proceedings. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

A teenage boy has been found guilty of murdering a 49-year-old mother-of-two as she made her way home from work in Dublin city on the 20th of January last year. Today FM's Courts Correspondent Frank Greaney joined The Last Word to discuss. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Journalist Lise Hand and political reporter with the Irish Times, Jack Horgan Jones, discuss some of the other stories making headlines this week, including a Dublin bus mounting pavements and Sean Penn loaning his Oscar to Zelensky. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Dr Brian Higgins joins Matt to talk about complications that occur from diabetes. For the full chat click the play button below.

John Gibbons joins Matt for his weekly environmental slot. This week they discuss car parts and Cop 27 progress. For the full chat click the play button below.

Ollie Grimes, Owner of the Snug in Skerries joins Matt to discuss Heineken's decision to raise the price of their draughts and ciders. For the full chat click the play button below.

Brian Lloyd joins Matt to go through the latest movies to hit Irish screens. For the full chat click the play button below.

Season five of Netflix's royal drama The Crown arrived to Netflix today and has already caused controversy. What's fact, what's fiction and is it worth a watch? Mic Wright, journalist & media critic, joined us to discuss.

The House is leaning Republican in the States while the vote for the Senate is on a knife-edge. Cal Thomas and Marion McKeone gave us the latest on the US midterm elections. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Those with variable rate mortgages are now in ‘last-chance saloon’. Is it too late to lock in? Charlie Weston joined us to discuss. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Bob Dylan played the 3Arena this week in his long-awaited return to Dublin. Zara Hedderman was at the gig and joined Matt to review it. John Caddell and Dee Reddy also covered the latest music news and releases including new music from Irish band House Plants and the tragic passing of singer Aaron Carter. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Voters in the US have been heading to the polls for the midterm elections which will determine whether the Democrats lose control of Congress. The party that controls the White House typically loses seats in the midterms. Matt is joined by Marion McKeone and Cal Thomas to discuss these key elections as well as the other biggest stories from the States. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Laureate for Irish Fiction, Colm Tóibín spoke to Matt about his latest book 'A Guest at the Feast', which is a collection of essays about his own life. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

There have been big changes to social media giant Twitter since Elon Musk’s takeover and more are expected to come. As a result lots of people have started looking for an alternative platform. Andy O’Donoghue spoke to Matt on The Last Word about Mastodon, a platform that has already seen a surge in users, as well as other alternatives to Twitter. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Miguel Delaney and Mark Lawrenson spoke to Matt on The Last Word about the potential sale of Liverpool and the weekend’s Premier League. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Matt was joined by Joe O’Shea and Elaine Burke on The Last Word to discuss the latest TV and streaming news, including the return of reality TV staple I’m A Celebrity and Netflix’s The Crown. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

The Northern and Western Regional Assembly has called for at least two electric charge facilities in every town and village in the country in order to meet electric vehicle targets. John Daly, chief economist at the Northern & Western Regional Assembly, joined Matt on The Last Word to discuss why more people aren’t switching to electric vehicles. Catch the full chat by pressing 'Play' button on this page.

Visiting New York with kids may seem daunting to some, but it can be the trip of a lifetime. Sarah Slattery from the travelexpert.ie spoke to Matt on The Last Word about her top attractions when travelling to New York as a family. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Twitter has begun laying off Irish staff as it plans to cut up to half of its global workforce. Ian Guider, columnist with the Business Post and General Secretary of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, Owen Reidy spoke to The Last Word about what this means for the social media giant. Ian also has the day’s other business stories including Revolut’s plan to offer ‘100% digital’ mortgages. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Roe McDermott, Irish Times advice columnist and movies editor with Hot Press and special correspondent with the Irish Examiner, Mick Clifford, discuss some of the other stories making headlines this week, including Twitter's layoffs and Gwyneth Paltrow’s Christmas gift guide. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Fifa have written to the teams competing in the World Cup asking them to focus on the football in Qatar and not allow the game “to be dragged into every ideological or political battle that exists.” Miguel Delaney spoke to The Last Word about the wave of controversies facing the tournament and how world football is dealing with them. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

On The Last Word on Movies Roe McDermott and Brian Lloyd discuss this week’s biggest movie releases. These include Watcher, The Wonder and the latest project from Cartoon Saloon, My Father’s Dragon. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Ahead of the Autumn International series at the Aviva, the IRFU has plans to contact ticket holders to remind them to be respectful to fellow patrons. Gerry Thornley, Irish Times Rugby Correspondent doesn’t think the measures will go far enough as many patrons have highlighted the interruptions caused by the flow of traffic through seat rows and aisles. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Recent incidents on the side-lines of children’s sports have led to calls for a ‘zero tolerance’ policy on abuse of officials and players. In the UK, parents have been banned from shouting during children's football matches as part of a pilot project to curb violent incidents. Irish Times parenting columnist Jen Hogan and Senator Shane Cassells joined The Last Word to discuss whether a similar approach should be taken for underage games in Ireland. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Glaucoma is a slowly progressive illness and the leading cause of blindness in the developed world. Dr Brian Higgins outlines the causes of glaucoma and how to treat it. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Fr. Tim Hazelwood from the Association of Catholic Priests and theologian Gina Menzies joined The Last Word to discuss the survey from the Association of Catholic Priests on the ageing population of priests in Ireland. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Fergal Hickey, president of the Irish Association of Emergency Medicine joined The Last Word to discuss hospital waiting lists, staff shortages and delays in discharging patients. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Looking for a Christmas or New Year's break? Sarah Slattery from travelexpert.ie joined The Last Word to discuss the best Irish hotel deals for Christmas and New Year's Eve 2022/23. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Hugh Bonneville, actor and author speaks on the ups and downs of career which has seen him star in Downton Abbey, Nothing Hill and Paddington. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Dee Reddy and Dave Hanratty discuss all the latest music news and releases, including Adele commanding £40,000 for tickets to her Las Vegas gigs. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Cal Thomas, nationally syndicated columnist, and Marion McKeone of the Business Post discuss the assault on US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband Paul. They also look ahead to next week’s midterm elections. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Boxer and Olympic Gold medalist Kellie Harrington and author Roddy Doyle discuss collaborating on “Kellie”, which tells the story of the boxer’s journey from inner city kid to winning gold in Tokyo. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Geoff Shreeves is a giant of football and in his memoir 'Cheers Geoff', he shares hilarious, bizarre and moving stories from across his career. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.