The Last Word with Matt Cooper

What Is It Like To Be Driven In A Driverless Car?

24 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Driverless taxis have been operating in San Francisco since last August marking a significant milestone in the progress for autonomous vehicles.Elaine...

What Labels Should Define Us?

24 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Laura Kennedy joins Matt int eh studio to discuss her new book, Some of Our Parts.As a philosopher and author, Laura takes us through the complexities...

The Last Word On Politics: Hate Speech Law Dropped, President Higgins In Hot Water Over Letter To Iran & Clashes With Taoiseach Over Homelessness & Migration

24 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Government has been slammed for dropping plans for hate speech laws because of a lack of the consensus on the wording.Also, President Michael D Hi...

Is Appointment TV On Streaming Services Working?

24 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Are you a binge watcher or do you space out your series?This week on the Last Word on TV and Streaming, Elaine and Joe give us the best in TV and stre...

Tips For Booking A Ski Holiday

23 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Sarah Slattery from TheTravelExpert.ie joined Matt for The Last Word’s weekly travel slot, giving you all the best tips and tricks for booking a ski...

United Rugby Championship 2024/25 Preview

20 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The United Rugby Championship kicks off this weekend with Leinster away to Edinburgh on Friday night, Munster hosting Connacht and Ulster facing Glasg...

Israel and Hezbollah Exchange Strikes Amid Growing Fears Of Escalation

20 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Exploding pagers killing at least 12 people and wounding 3,000 people. This has led to an exchange of strikes between Israel and Hezbollah and growing...

How To Make The Irish Language Fun Again

20 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Molly Nic Céile, author of Gaeilge i mo Chroí, joins The Last Word to talk about learning to love the Irish language.Catch the full chat by pressing...

Climate Change Made The World Vibrate For Nine Days Last Year

20 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

John Gibbons joins The Last Word to discuss climate change causing the earth to vibrate, life or death for cities should the earth continue to warm an...

Was The Israeli Pager Attack An Act Of Terrorism?

19 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Tom Clonan, Independent Senator, retired Army Officer and former Lecturer at TU Dublin, joined Mario Rosenstock to give his assessment of this week’...

More Frequent Homework But In Shorter Bursts Get Better Results, New Study Claims

19 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A study by Maynooth University has suggested that homework tasks of up to 15 minutes can be more beneficial than longer time periods.Mario Rosenstock ...

Dail Returns After Summer Break

19 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

But for how long? Will it disband in November for the election or in January for a rumored February election?Gary Murphy, Elaine Loughlin and Kevin Cu...

Culture Club: Killian Sundermann

18 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Comedian Killian Sundermann was the latest inductee into The Last Word’s Culture Club this week.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear all h...

Further Deaths In Lebanon As Second Wave Of Devices Explode

18 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Hezbollah has vowed to retaliate after wave of exploding pagers killed 12 people and injured thousands in cities across Lebanon. Hannah McCarthy, fore...

Amazon Says Staff Must Return To Office 5 Days A Week From January

17 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Amazon has told its staff that they must return to the office five days a week in January 2025, ending its hybrid working policy.Meanwhile, Intel have...

Is A Reliance On Cars Contributing To Childhood Obesity?

17 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Many children in Ireland are overweight "because they have to be driven everywhere" according to the deputy leader of the Green Party.Senator Róisín...

Now It Can Be Said: Ian Bailey Killed Sophie Toscan Du Plantier

17 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The new book is out now; Sophie: The Final Verdict. Author Senan Molony joins Matt to discuss how the evidence is laid out in his book and why a case ...

The Last Word On The US: Who Is Laura Loomer And Why Is She On Trump’s Campaign Trail?

17 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Donald Trump has received criticism after conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer joined his campaign trail, with some Republican supporters concerned the mo...

Irish Men Urged To Pay Attention To Your Pee

17 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It's prostate cancer awareness month and the Marie Keating Foundation are asking men to 'stand up for your prostate and pay attention to your pee' to ...

Housing To Be “Central To General Election Campaign”

16 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Tánaiste Micheál Martin said on Monday that Ireland’s Apple tax will be used to “copper-fasten” investment in housing in the country in the co...

The Last Word On Travel: Ras Al-Khaimah

16 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Ras Al-Khaimah is the northernmost emirate in the United Arab Emirates and is quickly becoming a popular holiday destination, particularly for those i...

The Week Trending

13 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We’ve got potential presidents spouting cat-eating conspiracy theories, another weird statue; this one of Queen Elizabeth in Antrim. And The UK movi...

How Rugby Became Part Of Ireland’s Social Fabric

13 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Matt was joined by Liam O’Callaghan, author of Blood and Thunder: Rugby and Irish Life: A History, which looked at how rugby in Ireland has become a...

Should We Ditch The Robot Mowers To Save The Hedgehogs?

13 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

John Gibbons brings us the weekly environment round up.The All Ireland Hedgehog Survey has warned that these robot mowers pose a large risk to the spe...

Central Bank To Disband Its Consumer Protection Unit

12 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Charlie Weston, Personal Finance Editor with the Irish Independent, was back with Matt on Thursday and they discussed how the Central Bank is to disba...

Apple Launches New IPhone But There Is A Lot More Exciting New Tech Out There

12 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Apple has launched its much anticipated iPhone 16, with new AI features, but Apple is not the only tech company releasing high quality and innovative ...

CCTV To Be Used To Catch Litter Louts In Dublin City

12 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

CCTV is set to be used to catch illegal littering in Dublin city – but only if someone does it from their car.Green Party Dublin City Councillor Jan...

Culture Club: Diarmaid Ferriter

11 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The author of The Revelation Of Ireland joins Matt for this week's Culture Club to discuss his favourite music, movies, books, tv shows and more in th...

Tánaiste Micheál Martin on Anglo/Irish Relations, The Middle East And What To Do With The Apple Tax Money

11 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Tánaiste Micheál Martin joined Matt on The Last Word to discuss Tuesday’s Apple Tax ruling and what will be done with the money available to the g...

The Last Word On The US: Trump And Harris Clash In US Presidential Debate

11 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

With less than two months to go to the US presidential election, Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris and former Republican President Donald Trump ...

The Last Word On The US: Harris And Trump Go Head To Head In First Presidential Debate

11 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Kamala Harris and Donald Trump took part in the first US Presidential debate on Tuesday night in Philadelphia.Marion McKeone, US Correspondent with th...

Shane Lowry Ends Kingspan Sponsorship Deal After Grenfell Tragedy

11 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Sarah McGuinness, Assistant News Editor with the Business Post, joined Matt for Tuesday’s business news.Up for discussion was Shane Lowry’s sponso...

Apple Ordered To Pay Ireland More Than €13bn In Taxes

10 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A European court has ruled that Apple must pay more than €13 billion in back taxes to Ireland in a significant legal defeat for both the Irish Gover...

Is The Late Late Show Worth The Money?

10 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Elaine Burke and Joe O'Shea discuss the position of The Late Late Show in today's tv environment.Plus its the end of The Grand Tour but what is ahead ...

Why Money Is Humanity's Greatest Invention

09 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

David McWilliams, economist and author, joins The Last Word to discuss the human relationship with money as explored in his new book, Money - A Story ...

Why Are There Growing Doubts Over Serial Killer Lucy Letby's Conviction?

09 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Lucy Letby was sentenced to life imprisonment for murdering seven babies and eight counts of attempted murder at a UK hospital between the summer of 2...

The Last Word On Travel: Autumn Deals

09 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Are you thinking of booking a last-minute holiday in the coming weeks? On this week's The Last Word on Travel, Sarah Slattery from TheTravelExpert.ie ...

The Dictators Who Want To Rule The World

06 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Pulitzer Prize winning author Anne Applebaum joins The Last Word to discuss the threat posed to democracy by authoritarian governments around the worl...

The Week Trending

06 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Consumer protection body opens investigation into Oasis tickets sale, there's outrage over a €336,000 bike shed and a depiction of 'potato eating' I...

Tech Thursday: Latest E-Scooters And E-Bikes

05 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Andy O'Donoghue brought us his top recommendations for the best e-scooters and e-bikes on the market to suit all budgets.To catch the full conversatio...

Government Launches Plan To Improve Water Quality

05 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The government has launched a new plan to improve Ireland’s water quality.Some details include controls on fertiliser use and a target of 4,500 farm...

Bid To Ban Dynamic Pricing Following Outrage Over Oasis Ticket Prices

05 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A group of Fianna Fáil politicians have put forward a Bill to ban dynamic pricing on tickets following the outrage over the Oasis ticket prices.Niamh...

Culture Club: Christine Dwyer Hickey

04 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Author Christine Dwyer Hickey joins The Last Word to discuss her favourite music, movies, books, tv shows and more in the Culture Club. Catch the full...

Irish Company Kingspan Criticised In Grenfell Tower Report

04 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Irish company Kingspan has been heavily criticised in the final report of the inquiry into the Grenfell Tower fire in London in 2017 which led to 72 d...

Minister Warns DAA Not To Break Passenger Cap

04 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Transport Minister Eamon Ryan has warned that Dublin Airport must stick to the passenger cap. He also spoke about the costs of the new Leinster House ...

How Dynamic Pricing Impacts Your Day To Day Spending

04 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We’ve heard a lot about dynamic pricing since tickets for Oasis at Croke Park next August went on sale last weekend, but does it impact our everyday...

Uproar Over Portrayal Of Irish Family In Schoolbook

04 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Department of Education has been criticised after having a Junior Cycle textbook containing “absurdly misconceived and discriminatory” depicti...

Will Oasis Announce More Irish Dates Following Fallout From Dynamic Ticket Pricing?

03 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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...

The Last Word On The US: With Just Nine Weeks To Go, Polls Show The Presidential Election Is On A Knife Edge

03 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Cal Thomas, nationally syndicated US columnist, and Marion McKeone, US correspondent with the Business Post, join The Last Word to discuss the latest ...

Sinn Féin Launches €39bn Housing Plan

02 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 gover...

The Best Wellness Retreats In Ireland

02 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Tánaiste Condemns Price Gouging For Oasis Dublin Gigs

02 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Is Ireland The World's Literary Powerhouse?

29 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 t...

How Green Is Coldplay’s ‘Music Of The Spheres’ Tour?

29 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Coldplay pledged to reduce their carbon footprint for their ‘Music of the Spheres’ tour, which rolls into Dublin this weekend, but how effective h...

The Last Word On The US: Harris To Give Her First Interview On CNN

29 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Kamala Harris is set to give her first major interview since becoming the Democratic presidential nominee on Thursday night.Cal Thomas, nationally syn...

Tools And Apps To Keep Your Children Safe Online

29 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 tha...

Culture Club: Emer Dineen

28 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Émer Dineen actress and creator of 0800 Cupid, a musical extravaganza and cabaret show debuting at Dublin’s Theatre Festival was the latest inducte...

Cost Of Going To College €500 Higher Than Last Year

28 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 Indepe...

Doctors Back Crackdown On Smartphones For Young People While Secondary Pupils Criticise Plans For Blanket Ban

28 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Irish Medical Organisation(IMO) has backed proposals from government ministers to limit young people's access to smartphones and social media. How...

The Last Word On The US: Trump Threatens To Pull Out Of September Debate With Harris

28 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Marion McKeone, US Correspondent with the Business Post and nationally syndicated columnist Cal Thomas joined Matt for Tuesday’s The Last Word’s S...

Oasis Reunited Against All Odds

27 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

B- Grade For Ireland In Latest Climate Report Card

27 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Aer Lingus Reduces Dublin/Heathrow Service

26 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Ian Guider, columnist with the Business Post, joined Matt for Monday's business news.They discussed how Aer Lingus is reducing its Dublin-Heathrow ser...

Minister Vows To Ban Social Media Use For Under 16 Year Olds

26 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In a strongly worded interview, Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly, outlined the inappropriate material that teenagers are exposed to online and the...

From Yoga Retreats To Fitness Camps, The Best Wellness Holidays Available

26 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 healt...

Record Numbers Did Not Sit Leaving Cert Irish This Year

26 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 ea...

Bahrain Athletics Charged With 'Serious Doping' Violations Before Paris Olympics

23 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

World Athletics has announced that Bahrain Athletics Association was charged with a number of anti-doping violations before the Paris Olympics, raisin...

The Week Trending

23 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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, a...

Paul Howard On His Final Ross O’Carroll Kelly Book

23 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 wh...

What Is The Controversy Surrounding 'It Ends With Us'?

22 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

'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 e...

The Last Word On The US: Oprah Winfrey Makes Surprise Appearance On Night 3 Of Democratic National Convention

22 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

US vice presidential candidate Tim Walz delivered his acceptance speech on night three of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.Former House s...

The Last Word On The Environment: Heat Related Deaths Likely To Increase Over Coming Decades

22 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 t...

Should Phones Be Banned In Secondary Schools?

22 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Mobile phones could be banned in secondary schools under plans being considered by the Minister for Education Norma Foley.Rachel Harper, principal of ...

Culture Club: Peter Devlin

21 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 mor...

Why Are Health Insurers Increasing Their Prices For The Second Time This Year?

21 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 announce...

Tribute To Journalist Nell McCafferty Who Has Died Aged 80

21 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Government Planning Mobile Phone Ban For Secondary Schools

21 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Matt Meets Nell McCafferty

21 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Comedian Shane Daniel Byrne Heading For Dublin Fringe Festival

20 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 Peac...

US - Biden Passes The Baton At The Democratic National Convention

20 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Charity Warns Of Toxic Workplace Practices That Impact Mental Health

20 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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.H...

Man City, Arsenal And Liverpool Start New Season With 2-0 Victories

19 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 'Pla...

Ireland "Will Have Highest Fuel Tax After Budget"

19 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 Last Word on Travel: Visiting Brooklyn and Brand New Sites to See in New York

19 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 br...

Premier League Preview: Who Can Stop Man City's Five In A Row

16 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

The Week Trending

16 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 (agai...

How to Manage Inflammatory Bowel Disease

16 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

To further your education on inflammatory bowel disease and the differences between it and irritable bowel disease, Ciaran Davis and Victoria Spillane...

Tech Thurs: Parlez Vous? Best Apps For Learning Languages

15 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 ki...

Activists Label Donald Trump & Elon Musk’s Interview “Dumbest Climate Conversation Of All Time”

15 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 Mu...

Ireland's First E-Scooter Sharing Scheme Launched

15 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Ireland’s first e-scooter sharing scheme has been launched in Wexford.The scheme is a collaboration between e-scooter sharing platform Bolt and Wexf...

Culture Club: Bill Whelan

14 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 pressin...

Social Media Food Trends

14 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 G...

Overcrowding Contributing To Problem of Drugs In Prisons: IPRT

14 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

At least 11 inmates from the Portlaoise Prison were hospitalised after a suspected drugs overdose yesterday. Conor Lally, Crime and Security Editor wi...

Eir and Ryanair Are The Most Complained About Companies

14 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) said that Ryanair and Eir were the two most complained about companies when consumers contac...

Elon Musk Fawns Over Donald Trump In Long Conversation

13 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Cal Thomas, nationally syndicated US columnist, and Larry Donnelly, law lecturer at the University of Galway and political columnist with The Journal,...

How To Throw A Last Minute Barbeque

13 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Intel Offers Workers Up To €500,000 To Leave

12 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Ian Guider, columnist with The Business Post spoke to Will O’Callaghan for Monday’s business news.Up for discussion was exit packages for Intel’...

After Team Ireland’s Success In Paris, Should More Investment Be Made Into Sport Ahead Of LA 2028?

12 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Kieran Cunningham, Chief Sportswriter with the Irish Daily Star and Gavin Cooney, Sportswriter with The42.ie, joined Will O’Callaghan to discuss the...

Russia Orders Evacuations As Ukrainian Troops Push Further Into Kursk

12 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Dr Patrick Bury, Senior Lecturer in Security at University of Bath and former NATO analyst explained why this incursion by Ukraine has taken Russia an...

The Last Word On TV & Streaming: Emily In Paris Returns

12 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Will O’Callaghan was joined by Joe O’Shea and Elaine Burke for this week’s TV & Streaming slot and they talked about the return of Emily In ...