The Last Word with Matt Cooper
On Ireland's most cutting edge current affairs show, Matt and his guests provide a running stream of intelligent opinions and heated debates on the issues that matter most to Irish listeners. You might not always agree, but you'll never want to miss a Word.
Episodes
The Last Word On The US: Trump Calls In National Guard To Tackle 'Wave Of Lawlessness' In Washington
US National Guard troops are arriving in Washington DC on the order of President Donald Trump who has declared a "public safety emergency" in the city.
Marion McKeone and Cal Thomas join The Last Word to discuss this and more as Trump also prepares to sit down with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday.
Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!
Many have described Israel's offensive in Gaza over the last 22 months as genocide, something which the Israeli government has strenuously pushed back on.
Omer Bartov has a unique perspective on this, not only as professor of Holocaust and Genocide Studies at Brown University in the United States, but also as a former member of the Israeli Defence Forces.
He joins The Last Word to explain why he believes Israel's actions in Gaza amou...
In June, Sinn Féin tabled a motion which sought extend presidential voting rights to Irish citizens in Northern Ireland and abroad.
At the moment, only citizens living in Ireland can vote in the presidential election. Why is this the case, and does it alienate those residing abroad?
TV Producer Paddy Duffy, who is originally from Donegal but now lives in the UK, and Gary Murphy, Professor of Politics at the School of Law and Governme...
The new Pension Automatic Enrolment (AE), which is now called the ‘My Future Fund’, is due to arrive in January 2026. So, what’s the criteria for it, and will it actually benefit workers?
Paul Kenny, former Pensions Ombudsman and Programme Leader of the Retirement Planning Council of Ireland, joined Ian Guider on The Last Word to answer your questions.
Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the chat.
Turquoise water, white sand beaches and incredible sea life - Sarah Slattery from thetravelexpert.ie joins The Last Word to discuss travel to the Maldives.
Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!
A recent survey carried out on behalf of Pure Telecom has found that almost 10% of adults in Ireland have had a romantic relationship with an AI chatbot in the last 12 months.
Mental health charity Turn2Me has said that such figures highlight a loneliness pandemic in this country.
CEO of Turn2Me, Fiona O’Malley, and author and broadcaster, Aoife Barry, spoke to Ian Guider on The Last Word about this.
Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page...
Broadcaster Ryan Tubridy repays €150,000 sum that was at the centre of the RTÉ payments scandal, Fox News reports on 'dangerous' Dublin but the stats don't add up, and a new study says that 10% of adults in Ireland have pursued a romantic relationship with an AI chatbot.
Aoife Barry and Joe O'Shea join The Last Word to discuss these stories and more in The Week Trending.
Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!
Israel's political security cabinet has approved a plan to take control of Gaza City, marking a further escalation in the almost two-year offensive in the strip.
Bel Trew, international correspondent with the Independent, joins The Last Word to discuss Israel's decision to expand its military operations in Gaza despite intensifying criticism at home and abroad.
Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!
US President Donald Trump has called for Lip-Bu Tan, the newly appointed Chief Executive of Intel, to resign.
Posting on his social media platform Truth Social, he said "The CEO of INTEL is highly CONFLICTED and must resign, immediately”.
Mr. Trump did not specify what he thought the conflicts of interest were.
Ian Guider, Columnist with the Business Post, spoke to Matt on Thursday.
Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the piece.
From smart desks to wireless charging mats and docking stations, Andy O’Donoghue ran through the best tech for maximising your home office space.
To catch the full conversation, press the ‘play’ button on this page.
Research conducted by the United Nations has shown that indirect carbon emissions from some of the world’s biggest tech firms rose dramatically between 2020 and 2023.
This is due to the significant energy that is needed to operate data centres.
Environmental commentator, John Gibbons, spoke to Matt on The Last Word.
Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear their chat.
Gary O’Hanlon, Executive Chef at the K Club and co-host of the ‘Dishing It Out’ podcast was the latest entry into The Last Word’s Culture Club.
Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear all his choices in music, TV, literature and film.
Today marks the 250th anniversary of the birth of 'The Liberator' Daniel O'Connell, perhaps Ireland's greatest ever politician.
Mick Clifford, special correspondent with the Irish Examiner, certainly thinks so. He joins The Last Word to discuss the legacy of Daniel O'Connell.
Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!
Revenue has contacted 68,000 pensioners over their tax obligations in relation to their occupational pension.
Charlie Weston, Personal Finance Editor with the Independent, explained why some pensioners are being asked to file a tax return.
He also explained why many renters believe the Government should support intergenerational living arrangements. This is where younger people live with older adults for lower rent in exchange for c...
Professor Brian Caulfield from the Department of Civil Engineering in Trinity College Dublin and tech journalist Elaine Burke join The Last Word to discuss the future of driverless vehicles.
Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!
US President Donald Trump has fired the head of the main agency for producing American jobs figures claiming she "rigged" weaker-than-expected employment data for political reasons.
Cal Thomas and Marion McKeone join The Last Word to discuss this and more of the latest news from the United States.
Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may authorise a complete occupation of Gaza, according to reports.
Chief International Correspondent at The Independent Bel Trew and Professor of Law, Queens University Aoife O’Donoghue join Matt to discuss the latest news and the aid situation in Gaza.
Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the chat.
More changes could be on the way for Gaelic football following an entertaining inter-county season marked by a number of new rules.
Michael Foley, sportswriter with the Sunday Times, and Ray Silke, former Galway captain, join The Last Word to discuss the effect the changes had on this year's championship and what more can be done to improve the game.
Catch the full chat by pressing 'Play' button on this page!
Out-going Garda Commissioner Drew Harris has said he plans to publish The Crowe Report into roads policing. The report was commissioned following the receipt of anonymous correspondence from a Garda member working in the area.
The report found that a number of gardaí assigned to roads policing were ‘openly hostile’ to doing their jobs. It further found senior garda members were afraid to ‘intervene’.
Pat Leahy, Former Assistant Garda...
There have been calls for several streets in Dublin city to be pedestrianised over the last number of years, but does that lead to certain parts of the city being quieter – and therefore more dangerous – come nightfall?
Architect and urban designer, Fedirico Minieri, and Janet Horner, Green Party Dublin City Councillor for Dublin North Inner City, spoke to Matt on The Last Word.
Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversa...
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