The Last Word with Matt Cooper
Episodes
Two Wins From Two Sees Ireland Sit Four Points Clear At The Top Of The Six Nations Table
10 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ireland recorded their second bonus point win of this year’s Guinness Six Nations when they defeated Scotland at Murrayfield on Sunday.France also s...
European Commission Says EU Will React Against “Unlawful” US Tariffs
10 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
US President Donald Trump has vowed to impose 25% tariffs on imports of steel and aluminium products coming to the US.On Monday afternoon, the Europea...
TV & Streaming: Samantha Mumba Criticises RTE’s Judging Panel After Losing Out In Eurosong Contest
10 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Samantha Mumba has questioned the credentials of members of RTE’s judging panel following The Late Late Show’s Eurosong special on Friday night.Mu...
Best US Road Trips
10 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Is a visit to Nashville, Memphis or the Grand Canyon on your bucket list?With 27 routes from Ireland to the US available, Sarah Slattery, thetravelexp...
Ireland Head To Murrayfield For Round Two Of The Six Nations
07 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Peter O'Mahony and Robbie Henshaw have been added to the Irish side that will take on Scotland in round two of the Guinness Six Nations. Liam Toland a...
Week Trending: How To Boil An Egg, Thousands Still Without Power And Trump's Ethnic Cleansing
07 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Scientists crack the perfect boiled egg, thousands still without power two weeks after Storm Éowyn and Donald Trump wants to turn Gaza into the 'Rivi...
New Speed Limits Come Into Effect On Irish Roads
06 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
New lower speed limits come into effect this week and motorists will see major reductions on many rural and urban roads.Conor Faughnan, transport comm...
The Latest In Fitness Tech For Every Price Range
06 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Andy O’Donoghue has a run down of all the latest fitness technology from free Apps, to smart watches.To listen to the full conversation, press the ‘...
Last Month Was The Hottest January On Record
06 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Copernicus Climate Change Service has said that last month was the warmest January on record. This continues a series of temperature records since...
Family Of Joe Drennan Calls For Sentence For The Man Who Killed Him To Be Appealed
06 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The family of Joe Drennan have expressed their anger at the prison sentence of the man who killed him in a hit and run in 2023.Kieran Fogarty from Co....
Culture Club: Doireann Ní Ghlacáin
06 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this week's Culture Club, Doireann Ní Ghlacáin, presenter, musician and co-host of How to Gael podcast, joins The Last Word to discuss her favour...
Is Trump Serious About Creating 'The Riviera Of The Middle East' In Gaza?
05 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
US President Donald Trump's plan to 'take over' war torn Gaza and turn it into the 'Riviera of the Middle East' has been met with shock and global con...
ESB To Develop Grid Investment Plan
05 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Daragh O'Brien, Minister for Climate, Environment and Energy, and Minister for Transport, outlined the plans for ESB to upgrade the electricity networ...
Joseph O’Connor On His New Book “The Ghosts Of Rome”, And Its Similarities With Today’s Global Landscape
04 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On Tuesday, Matt was joined by author Joseph O’Connor as he discussed the release of his latest book “The Ghosts of Rome”.The book is set in spr...
How Will US Trade Tensions Affect The Eurozone?
04 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ian Guider, columnist with the Business Post, joins The Last Word to discuss the impact of US President Donald Trump slapping tariffs on China and thr...
The Last Word On The US: Trump Fires First Shots In Global Trade War
04 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
China has slapped tariffs on a raft of goods coming from the United States in response to US tariffs on Chinese goods introduced by President Donald T...
Housing Output Could Be As Low As 32,000 This Year, Report Suggests
31 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The delivery of houses in Ireland could fall short of the government’s targets in 2025, according to a report by Mitchell McDermott.This prediction ...
2025 Guinness Six Nations Preview
30 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ireland kick off their 2025 Guinness Six Nations campaign against England this Saturday as they bid to win a historic 3-in-a-row.Under interim head co...
Matt Meets Armando Iannucci
30 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On Thursday, Matt was joined by Armando Iannucci, the creator of iconic TV shows like Alan Partride, Veep and The Thick of It.He discussed his stage a...
Tech Thursday: What Is DeepSeek And How Is It Disrupting The AI Sector?
30 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
DeepSeek, a Chinese owned startup, is disrupting the AI sector amid claims it performs better than other popular technology at a fraction of the price...
Culture Club: Trevor Birney
29 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Trevor Birney, journalist, documentary maker and producer of the Kneecap movie, joins The Last Word for the the Culture Club. He discusses his favouri...
RFK Jr Says He Is Not Anti-Vaccine At Senate Hearing
29 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Robert F Kennedy Jnr, Donald Trump's pick for health secretary, has said he is "not anti-vaccine" and has defended the President's anti-abortion polic...
Lady Gaga Announces New Album “Mayhem”
29 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On Monday, Lady Gaga announced that her new album “Mayhem” will be released on March 7th.Meanwhile, Forbidden Fruit and Longitude have both reveal...
The Last Word On The US: Trump Administration Ramps Up Immigration Crackdown
28 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Trump administration's crackdown on illegal immigration has hit major cities across the US and led to mass arrests.Cal Thomas, nationally syndicat...
The Last Word On Business: Diageo Says Guinness Is Not For Sale
27 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Diageo has said it has “no intention” of selling the Guinness brand, following reports last week that it was considering doing so.Bloomberg News f...
Did The New Gaelic Football Rules Work In The Opening Round Of The League?
27 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Allianz National Football League returned this weekend, and it was the first time fans got to see the new rules created by the FRC in an attempt t...
DPP Considers Charges Against Gerry Hutch Over Alleged Garda Corruption
27 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Conor Gallagher, Crime and Security Correspondent with the Irish Times, explained that an extensive file regarding alleged garda corruption has been s...
The Last Word On Travel: Tallinn, Estonia
27 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Sarah Slattery from travelexpert.ie joins The Last Word for her weekly travel slot and this time she's got all the best things to do and see when visi...
The Week Trending: The Hat, The Bishop And The Salute - Takeaways From Trump's Inauguration
24 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It's been a big week for politics on both sides of the Atlantic, Roe McDermot, advice columnist with The Irish Times, and Larry Donnelly, law lecturer...
House Builds Decreased By 6.7% Finds CSO
23 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In the Last Word on Business, Ian Guider, columnist with the Business Post, outlined the latest figures on house completion from the Central Statistic...
Micheál Martin Receives Seal Of Office
23 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Micheál Martin Receives Seal Of OfficeFollowing yesterday’s historic Dáil row and suspension, Micheál Martin has been elected Taoiseach.Louise Bu...
Dáil Chaos: Government Formation Delayed By Row Over Speaking Rights
22 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The 34th Dáil met today for the first sitting since the general election but a massive row over opposition speaking time meant there was no vote to a...
The Best Irish Gigs Of 2025
22 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
2025 is shaping up to be a great year for gigs in Ireland. John Caddell and Dee Reddy join The Last Word to take a look at the best concerts and festi...
The Last Word On Travel: Antarctica
21 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Sinead Kennedy, host of wellness activity breaks & travel expert joined Matt for The Last Word on Travel to talk about her recent once in a lifeti...
The Last Word On The US: What Has Trump Done In His First Hours In Office?
21 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
US President Donald Trump wasted no time after his inauguration on Monday, as he issued a full pardon for January 6th rioters and withdrew the US from...
Nunez Rescues Liverpool As Amorim Says His Team Is The Worst In Man United’s History
20 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Darwin Nunez scored two injury time goals against Brentford as Liverpool stretched their lead at the top of the Premier League table.Meanwhile, Man Un...
The Last Word On The US: Donald Trump Sworn In As 47th President Of The United States
20 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On Monday, Donald Trump became the 47th US President.In his speech, President Trump criticised Joe Biden’s presidency, declared a national emergency...
The Week Trending: US TikTok Ban, Cherry Tomato Bridge & Who's Going To Trump's Inauguration?
17 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What's going to happen with the US TikTok ban, why did cherry tomatoes on a Dublin bridge send social media into a frenzy, and who's going (or more im...
Schools Told Not To Accept Psychologists’ Reports For Irish Exemptions
17 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Department of Education has contacted several schools In Ireland to say that they can’t award exemptions for studying Irish based on psychologic...
What’s In The Programme For Government For Climate Change?
16 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The next government will consist of Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, the Regional Independent Group and Independent TDs Michael and Danny Healy-Rae.How does t...
The Last Word On The US: Biden’s Exit Speech Warns Of The Rise Of US Oligarchs
16 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
US President Joe Biden delivered his exit speech on Wednesday night, issuing a warning about a concentration of wealth in the United States.Matt spoke...
Conor McGregor Ordered Not To Publish CCTV Footage Shown During Civil Rape Trial
16 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
MM fighter Conor McGregor has been ordered by the High Court not to publish or share the CCTV footage shown during the recent civil action taken by Ni...
Are Hospital Parking Charges A Toll On Ill Health
16 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Irish hospitals took in almost €16 million in car parking charges in 2023 according to a new report from Irish Country Living. Hospital parking rema...
What’s In The New Programme For Government?
16 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A deal for the next government was agreed between Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, the Regional Independent Group and Independent TDs Michael & Danny Heal...
Culture Club: Roisín O’Donnell
15 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Roisín O’Donnell has just released her debut novel, Nesting, a tense exploration of one women’s attempts to get away from a coercive partner, and...
January Is Divorce Month - How Can Couples Keep The Costs Down And Relationships Intact?
15 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
January is often considered 'divorce month' as the new year see lots of couples take the first steps towards splitting up.Michelle Brown, divorce cons...
The Last Word On The US: Six Days To Go To Second Trump Presidency
14 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Marion McKeone, US correspondent with the Business Post, and Cal Thomas, nationally syndicated US columnist, join The Last Word to discuss the devasta...
Irish Charity Shops Inundated With Fast Fashion Products
14 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Charity shops across Ireland have seen an increase in clothing donations purchased from fast fashion sites such as Shein, some of which have never bee...
How Reliable Are Fertility Tracking Apps?
14 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A study in England and Wales has suggested that there has been an increase in the proportion of women seeking abortions, despite using “natural” m...
Manchester United Knock Arsenal Out Of The FA Cup
13 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Man United knocked Arsenal out of the FA Cup on Sunday, bringing a miserable week to an end for Mikel Arteta’s side.With the North London derby just...
Michael Flatley Saved From Receivership By Loan From Property Tycoons
13 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Commercial Court has heard that Michael Flatley is willing to repay a €5.6million loan at the centre of a dispute with a lender.It was made to B...
Employers Say Childcare Costs Are A Barrier To Staff Recruitment And Retention
13 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The high cost of childcare is driving people, particularly women, out of the workforce and is damaging recruitment according to a new survey from Dubl...
The Last Word On Travel: Best Holiday Deals on Offer In January
13 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Sarah Slattery, from travelexpert.ie, joins The Last Word to give her rundown on the best January travel deals on offer.She has great tips from flight...
The Week Trending: Weather Warnings, LA Fires And Elon Musk
10 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ben Finnegan, Today FM news anchor, and Orla Ryan, news correspondent with TheJournal.ie, join The Last Word to discuss the week's trending stories in...
Concerns Over Nutritional Value Of Hot School Meals
10 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How nutritional are hot school meals actually?Food policy consultant Ruth Hegarty joins Matt and Principal Regina Halpin to discuss the concerns aroun...
'The Bank Of Mum And Dad' Helping First Time Buyers Onto The Property Ladder
09 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The average mortgage loan is now over €300,000 according to a new survey from MyHome.ie, but many homes cost much more than that. So how are buyers ...
Tech Thursday: How To Upgrade And Downsize Your Tech
09 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Tech journalist Andy O’Donoghue was back on The Last Word to explain how to get the best out of your tech and the most effective methods of starting...
Culture Club: Jerry Fish
08 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Singer Jerry Fish joins The Last Word this week for the Culture Club!He talks about his favourite music, books, movies and more as well as discussing ...
Has Remote Working Had Its Day?
08 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Owen Reidy, General Secretary, Irish Congress of Trade Unions, and Julie Galbraith, Head of Employment Law, Eversheds Sutherland discuss hybrid workin...
Why Does Donald Trump Want Greenland And Could He Get It?
08 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
US President elect Donald Trump says he wants to make Greenland a part of the United States, threatening tariffs and refusing to rule out military act...
Personal Finance: How To Claim A Tax Refund
08 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
If you’re looking to give yourself a financial boost in the new year, it may be worth preparing a tax return.Charlie Weston, Personal Finance Editor...
Meta Scraps Fact Checking Programme In The US
07 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has announced significant changes to its content moderation policies in the US which include repla...
The Last Word On The US: Trump Won't Rule Out Using Military Force To Take Greenland
07 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
US President elect Donald Trump has refused to rule out using military force to take over Greenland. Trump said the US needs to purchase the Danish te...
Dublin Is Europe’s Third Most Congested City, Survey Finds
07 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Drivers in Dublin were delayed by an average of 81 hours in 2024 due to congestion in the city, according to a survey conducted by data company Inrix....
Liverpool And Manchester United Play Out Thrilling Draw At Anfield
06 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Manchester United came from behind to earn a 2-2 draw against Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday. Was this the first sign of significant progress of Amorm...
The Last Word On Business: Corporation Tax Take Increases To €39bn
06 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Corporation tax increased to €39bn last year, with the apple tax contributing to €11bn of that figure.The Department of Finance published the fina...
Starmer Hits Back At Musk Over 'Spreading Lies'
06 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Nick Ferrari, presenter of Nick Ferrari at Breakfast on LBC, outlined the response from UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer to Elon Musk's attacks on Safeg...
The Last Word On Travel: Lisbon As A Food Destination
06 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Russell Alford, food critic for The Sunday Times and one half of the GastroGays, joins The Last Word to discuss another of his favourite foodie travel...
The Last Word On Business: Nick Clegg To Leave Meta
03 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Former UK deputy prime minister Nick Clegg is to step down from his role at Meta.He is due to be replaced by former Republican White House deputy chie...
Be Kind To Yourself In 2025
03 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Helen Vaughan, Psychotherapist with Maynooth Counselling & The Coast Counselling in Malahide, spoke to Will O'Callaghan about the importance of se...
How To De-Stress In 2025
02 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Helen Vaughan, Psychotherapist with Maynooth Counselling & The Coast Counselling in Malahide, outlines eight strategies to help to de-stress in 20...
The Best Ways To Declutter Your Devices
02 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Have you noticed that your phone’s performance has worsened recently, or are you struggling to free up some space in its memory?Tech Journalist Andy...
The Year In Sport: Premier League, Euro 2024, Ireland's Men And Women's International Teams
23 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt was joined by Will O'Callaghan from Off The Ball and Gavin Cooney from The42.ie as they looked back on all the highlights from the soccer year.To...
The Best Music Of 2024
23 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
John Caddell and Dee Reddy join The Last Word to look back on the last year in music and give their picks for the best music of 2024.Catch the full ch...
Remembering The Actors, Musicians And Famous Faces Who Passed Away In 2024
20 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Last Word remembers some of the famous people who passed away in the last year.Journalist and broadcaster Tommie GormanJim Beard, keyboardist with...
The Last Word News Review Of The Year 2024
20 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Tabitha Monahan, political reporter with the Independent, journalist Lise Hand, Dave Hanratty, host of the No Encore podcast, and Eoghan Tomás McDerm...
The Best Movies Of 2024
19 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Roe McDermott and Brian Lloyd join The Last Word to chat about the best movies released in the last year.There's been huge blockbusters like Dune Part...
The Biggest Business Stories Of 2024
19 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Ian Guider, columnist with the Business Post, joined Matt to discuss the biggest business stories that made the headlines throughout 2024.Hit the ‘P...
The Best Whiskeys, Gins, Vodka - And Poitín - For Christmas
19 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Judith Boyle, beverages lecturer in TU Dublin, joins The Last Word to discuss her top choices for whiskeys, gins, vodka and even poitín. Perfect for ...
The Last Word Tech Gift Guide: Last Minute Gifts
19 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
From STEM gifts for curious minds to headphones and beer dispensers, Andy O'Donoghue has a comprehensive list of last minute tech gifts to suit everyo...
Culture Club: Dave Fanning
18 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Dave Fanning was the latest inductee into The Last Word’s Culture Club on Wednesday.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear his choices.
RIP.ie To Charge €100 For Death Notices
18 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
RIP.ie has announced it will be charging funeral directors €100 to post a death notice from January. Clare Ann Irwin of Irwin Funeral Directors in G...
The Cost Of Christmas Dinner Is On The Rise
18 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The cost of the average Christmas dinner is on the rise, according to new figures from Kantar.Meanwhile, Chill Insurance is urging homeowners to keep ...
Comisúin Na Mean To Investigate Tik Tok Over Election Integrity
17 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Coimisiún na Meán is to join a European Commission election integrity investigation into video-sharing platform TikTok.Andy O'Donoghue, tech journal...
The Last Word On The US: Concerns Trump Could Bring Series Of Lawsuits Against Media Outlets
17 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
ABC News has agreed to pay Donald Trump $15 million to settle a defamation action, sparking concerns that the incoming President could bring more case...
The Best TV Shows Of 2024
16 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Joe O’Shea and Elaine Burke spoke to Ian Guider on Monday’s The Last Word, where they gave their picks for their favourite TV shows of 2024.Among ...
The Last Word On Sport: United Strike Late In The Manchester Derby To Heap More Misery On City
16 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Ian Guider was joined by Off The Ball’s Will O’Callaghan and Chief Football Writer with The Independent, Miguel Delaney to discuss the weekend’s...
The Last Word On Travel: Christmas Gift Guide
16 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Stuck for a Christmas present? Sarah Slattery, from travelexpert.ie, joins The Last Word to give her top gift ideas for anyone who loves to travel.She...
The Week Trending: Eoin Hayes, Donald Trump And Succession
13 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Eoin Hayes suspended from the Social Democrats, Donald Trump is Time's Person of the Year and the real-life Succession plans.Breda Brown, communicatio...
Climate Action ‘Will Deplete Living Standards, But Delaying It Would Be Even Worse’
13 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Climate Change Advisory Council has proposed reducing emissions in Ireland by 67% by 2040, stating that the country has failed to rise to the chal...
The Best Sports Books Of 2024
12 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Michael Foley, Sportswriter with The Sunday Times and Chief Sportswriter with the Irish Daily Star, Kieran Cunningham, joined Matt to look back at the...
The Last Word's Tech Gift Guide - Sound, Phones And Tablets
12 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Andy O'Donoghue joins The Last Word to talk through his top picks for sound tech, phones and tablets for gifts this Christmas.Catch the full chat by p...
The Best Non-Fiction Of 2024
12 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Paschal Donohoe and journalist Lise Hand were back once again for The Last Word’s review of the best non...
Culture Club: Simon Delaney
11 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Actor Simon Delaney is the latest inductee into the Culture Club.The author of new novel 'Watching Over You' joins The Last Word to discuss his favour...
Credit Unions To Be Allowed Lend More Under Central Bank Plans
11 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Credit unions' mortgage and business lending capacity are set to treble in the coming years under proposals from the Central Bank.Ian Guider, columnis...
The Best Non-Alcohol Drinks For Christmas
11 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On Wednesday’s The Last Word, Vaughan Yates, founder of The Virgin Mary Bar, gave his choices of non-alcoholic drinks for you to enjoy throughout th...
Best Fiction Books Of 2024
11 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Authors Edel Coffey and Kevin Power joined Matt on Wednesday for The Last Word’s annual Fiction Books of the Year slot.Edel’s choices included Fer...
Best Cookbooks for 2024
10 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Russell Alford and Patrick Hanlon, AKA the GastroGays and Restaurant Critics with the Sunday Times, had their choices of just some of their favourite ...
Best Beer Choices For The Party Season
10 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Judith Boyle, beverage lecturer at TU Dublin, had her seasonal choices of best beers and ales to pair with your Christmas diner or for parties during ...
The Last Word On The US: Suspect Charged WithUnitedHealthcare CEO
10 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A 26-year-old has been charged with murdering Brian Thompson, UnitedHealthcare’s CEO.According to officials, Luigi Mangione was arrested in Pennsylv...