The Last Word with Matt Cooper

This week on The Last Word on TV and Streaming Elaine Burke and Joe O'Shea join Matt to discuss if the World Cup Final's Halftime show was as ‘crap' as Wayne Rooney said They also discuss their picks of the weekHit Play on this page to listen now

Matt is joined by Minister of State Seán Canney after the news that the government is set to ban e-scooters for under-18s.He's also later joined by Motoring Editor at the Irish Independent Geraldine Herbert to discuss whether the ban will be effective. Hit Play on this page to listen now

Sarah Slattery from thetravelexpert.ie joins The Last Word to discuss the best cities and towns to visit along the French riviera.Catch the full chat by pressing the ‘Play' button on this page!

Lise Hand and Cathal O'Sullivan join The Last Word for the week trending. They pay tribute to Oscar-winning Irish actress Brenda Fricker who has died at the age of 81. They also look ahead to the World Cup final on Sunday and, as the heatwave continues, they ask, when is it acceptable for men to be topless in public?Catch the full chat by pressing the ‘Play' button on this page!

From complicated election data to the ever tender relationship with China, Law Lecturer at the University of Galway, Larry Donnelly, joins The Last Word to discuss the details of last night's speech.To hear the full chat press 'PLAY' on this page now!

Christopher Nolan's adaptation of Homer's ancient Greek epic the Odyssey arrives in cinemas this weekend.Brian Lloyd joins The Last Word to review 'The Odyssey' and discuss Christopher Nolan's best films to date.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

The Just Transition Commission has published a report in which it recommends farmers receiving long-term funding in order to tackle climate change issues and biodiversity loss.Environmental commentator John Gibbons joins Matt on The Last Word.Hit the ‘Play' button on this page to hear the piece.

England manager Thomas Tuchel has been criticised for the substitutions he made to his team after they went 1-0 up in the second half of the Fifa World Cup semi-final against Argentina.Despite being a goal ahead in the closing stages of the game, they conceded two late goals and were knocked out of the tournament.Miguel Delaney, Chief Football Writer with the Independent, speaks to Matt on The Last Word about what the future could hold for Tuchel.Hit the ‘Play' button on this page to hear the piece.

Andy O'Donoghue joins The Last Word to chat all things tech when planning family days out during the heatwave. To listen to the full chat press 'PLAY' on this page.

Author Jane Casey is this week's inductee into The Last Word's Culture Club, as she marks the release of her new book ‘Everything She Didn't Say'.Hit the 'Play' button on this page to hear her choices.

Bank of Ireland has warned music fans to be aware of online fraudsters and to only purchase tickets from verified sellers. Charlie Weston, of The Irish Independent, tells Matt how to avoid getting scammed ahead of Irish festival season.To hear the full chat, press 'PLAY' on this page now!

The state paid more than €1 million for a single deportation flight when returning 42 adults & children to South Africa in June.Fianna Fáil's Seamus McGrath, and Aontú's Peader Tóibín, join Matt to discuss the reasoning behind this high travel bill.To hear the full chat, press 'PLAY' on this page now!

US President Donald Trump has backed down on his plans to charge a 20% toll on cargo going through the Strait of Hormuz and will instead have “Trade and Investment Deals” with Gulf states, he said.Cal Thomas and Marion McKeone to discuss the renewed chaos in the region as the US and Iran face off over the vital waterway and more of the latest news from the United States.Catch the full discussion by hitting the ‘Play' button on this page!

The Licensed Vintners Association has released a study which claims 67% of people have struggled to get a taxi home after a night out. Donall O'Keefe, CEO of the LVA, tells us about who is most effected and what other options we have. To hear the full conversation press play on this page now!

Last week, Social Democrats TD Gary Gannon wrote a piece for TheJournal.ie detailing his walk home across Dublin city centre.He detailed how he witnessed addiction, poverty, drug dealing, and what he described as a lack of political will to rejuvenate O'Connell Street.He speaks to The Last Word about the current state of the city centre, and if there's any solutions.Hit the ‘Play' button on this page to hear the piece.

Medical drama The Pitt has received 25 nominations for this year's Emmy Awards, with comedy Hacks just behind with 24 nods.The awards will take place in LA on September 14th and will be presented by actress Mariska Hargitay.Joe O'Shea and Elaine Burke join The Last Word.Hit the ‘Play' button on this page to hear the piece.

Kaitlin Murphy from thetravelexpert.ie joins The Last Word for a city break special!Kaitlin has three great travel guides for Copenhagen, Budapest and Berlin.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Tips for staying cool during a heatwave aren't just for us humans.Laura Mock, Head of Veterinary services at Irish Blue Cross, informs us on how to protect our pets from heatstroke throughout the high temperatures. Hit Play on this page to listen now!

This week on The Week Trending, Matt is joined by Journalist Kate Henshaw and Broadcaster Padraig Wilson McCarthy to discuss the week's stories.They discuss Nigel Farage v Count Binface, a potential English World Cup Bank Holiday, the heatwave and much more.Hit Play on this page to listen now

A man was almost sucked out the widow of a Ryan Air flight after the window detached mid-air.Eoghan Corry, Editor of Travel Extra, joins Matt to discuss the terrifying moment for passengers on their German bound flight. Hit the 'Play' button on this page to hear the full chat.

RTE has said it will need an additional €65m from the government in 2028, suggesting that the number of households without a television has “increased steadily”, meaning it's missing out on potential revenue.Louise Burne, Political Correspondent with the Irish Examiner, and Fianna Fáil TD Albert Dolan speak to Matt on The Last Word.Hit the ‘Play' button on this page to hear the piece.

Trade unions across Europe are pushing for new measures to help employees working in extreme heat.Among the precautions are workplace thermal limits, mandatory site heat risk assessments and rights to heat breaks. It's estimated that there are 230 workplace deaths a year which are linked to high temperatures.Environmental commentator John Gibbons speaks to Matt on The Last Word.Hit the ‘Play' button on this page to hear their chat.

Olivia Fahy joins The Last Word to chat all about the new releases hitting Irish cinemas this weekend. From The Rocks wig in Moana to watching Evil Dead Burn through her fingers, Olivia tells Matt what to look out for this weekend.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

As the country sizzles under the second heatwave of the season, Andy O'Donoghue is back to run through the best gadgets to keep you cool.From phone fans to air conditioners, smart water bottles, gel pillows and more, Andy has thought of everything.To catch the full conversation, press the 'play' button on this page.

Spider Stacy from The Pogues is the latest inductee into The Last Word Culture Club.He joins Matt to discuss the influence of Irish music in his life, as he plans to tour with The Pogues and special guests from that very canon of new Irish acts.He also discusses the cultural touchstones in his own life from music to movies, books, TV and plays.To catch the full conversation, press the 'play' button on this page.

Almost half of Irish workers believe artificial intelligence will replace or negatively impact their current role according to a new survey from FRS recruitment.Colin Donnery, group CEO of FRS Co-Op, and Peter Cosgrove, managing director pf Careers Portal, join The Last Word to discuss how workers can AI proof their career.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

With temperatures expected to reach 30 degrees in parts of the country this week, Uisce Eireann is urging households to be more mindful of their water usage.Margaret Attridge of Uisce Éireann, and Alan O'Reilly of Carlow Weather, join Matt to discuss their top tips to conserve water during a heatwave. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission has said its concerned that ‘buy now, pay later' schemes could negatively impact financially vulnerable people and see them fall further into debt after being targeted by retailers with so-called “free credit”.Charlie Weston, Personal Finance Editor with the Irish Independent, speaks to Matt on The Last Word.Hit the ‘Play' button on this page to hear the piece.

US President Donald Trump has renewed his claim that Greenland “should be controlled by the United States” while at a Nato summit in Turkey.Cal Thomas and Marion McKeone join The Last Word to discuss this and more of the latest news from the US.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Sinn Féin has tabled a Bill which, if accepted, would compel the Government to examine the implications of Irish unity.Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald joins The Last Word to discuss why her party believes now is the time to start preparing for a referendum on a united Ireland.Catch the full chat by pressing 'Play' button on this page!

On Tuesday, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage announced that he would be resigning as MP for Clacton, triggering an upcoming by-election.Mr. Farage also confirmed that he will contest the by-election, and accused the media of attempting to intimidate his family.Nick Ferrari, presenter of Nick Ferrari at Breakfast on LBC Radio, explains all to Matt on The Last Word.Hit the ‘Play' button on this page to hear the piece.

On Monday, US President Donald Trump confirmed that he asked FIFA to review US player Folarin Balogun's one-game suspension after he was sent off against Bosnia-Herzegovina at the World Cup.Balogun was due to miss his country's last-16 tie against Belgium before FIFA suspended the ban for 12 months, thus clearing the path for him to start for Mauricio Pochettino's side.Dion Fanning, co-host of the Free State podcast, and Off The Ball's Will O'Callaghan discuss whether the federation's reputation can ever recover after the move.Hit the ‘Play' button on this page to hear the piece.

A jury has convicted former swimming coach George Gibney of attempted rape of a girl and the abuse of three girls on various dates in the 1970s and 1980s.Today FM Courts Correspondent Frank Greaney gives a background to the harrowing story of George Gibney's abuse. He details the allegations that Gibney faced and the verdict from the jury. To catch the full conversation, press the 'play' button on this page.

A group of British MPs have urged ministers to whether they can stop children's TV show ‘Masha and the Bear' being broadcast in the UK, after it was accused of expressing pro-Kremlin propaganda.Joe O'Shea and Elaine Burke join The Last Word for Monday's TV & streaming slot.Hit the ‘Play' button on this page to hear the piece.

An investigation by The Sunday Times found that Reform UK leader Nigel Farage failed to declare benefits provided by George Cottrell, an ally who was once convicted of fraud in the US.Nick Ferrari, presenter of Nick Ferrari at Breakfast on LBC Radio in London, explains the latest to Matt on The Last Word.Hit the ‘Play' button on this page to hear the piece.

Whatsapp is set to roll out a new feature which will let users chat without revealing their phone numbers.The move has faced some scrutiny, though, and India has requested that the rollout is paused due to concerns about fraud and phishing scams.Tech journalist Andy O'Donoghue explains all to Matt.Hit the ‘Play' button on this page to hear the piece.

With temperatures soaring across Europe in recent weeks, the debate about the necessity of air conditioning in homes has sparked in France once again.Is this an inevitable conclusion as the continent experiences high temperatures, and what would the environmental impact of the move be?Commentator John Gibbons joins Matt for The Last Word on the Environment.Hit the ‘Play' button on this page to hear the piece.

US President Donald Trump told guests at the US ambassador's residence in Dublin on Wednesday that he hopes to visit Ireland for the Irish Open later this year.Larry Donnelly, law lecturer at University of Galway, and Dan O'Brien, chief economist at the Institute of International and European Affairs, join The Last Word to discuss the likelihood of such a visit and the challenges it would present.Catch the full chat by pressing the ‘Play' button on this page!

Musician Mike Hanrahan, of Stockton's Wing, is the latest guest on the Culture Club.He joins The Last Word to chat about his favourite music, movies, TV and more.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

A major change to EU customs rules, which kicked in on July 1, means that consumers must now pay a lot more for small items that are coming from outside the European Union.Rory McGinn, business reporter with the Irish Independent, joins The Last Word to explain how this new custom charge works.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

52-year-old Riad Bouchaker has been found guilty of the attempted murder of three children at Parnell Square in Dublin in November 2023.Mr. Bouchaker was also found guilty of stabbing Leanne Flynn, a childcare worker who was trying to protect the children, and of assaulting two other children and a teenager who intervened in the incident.Frank Greaney, Today FM's Courts Correspondent, speaks to Matt about the verdict, which was reached after almost five hours of deliberations.Hit the ‘Play' button on this page to hear the piece.

The government is working on a saving scheme in a bid to encourage Irish savers, who have an estimated €170bn in deposits, to invest.Some economists have raised concerns that this will only benefit the wealthy and that there is little benefit for the so-called “squeezed middle”.Charlie Weston, Personal Finance Editor with the Irish Independent, joins Matt to run through what's known about the scheme so far.Hit the ‘Play' button on this page to hear the piece.