The Last Word with Matt Cooper

The Trump administration has been blasted for releasing hype videos with clips from Hollywood films as part of its messaging about the war in Iran. Critics have accused the White House of trying to make the conflict look like a video game.Aoife Barry, journalist and author, and Joe O'Shea, editor of Cork Beo, join The Last Word to discuss this and more of the week's trending stories. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Journalist and Author Dave Hannigan has released his latest book “We Need To Talk About Roy - The Keanification of Modern Ireland”, in which he explores Ireland's obsession with one of Cork's most famous sons and how his life mirrors that of the development of Irish society in the last 5 decades.Hit the ‘Play' button on this page to hear his chat with Matt on The Last Word.

Minister for Housing James Browne announced that the government intends to loosen existing rules around one-off homes in rural Ireland for people facing difficulties around planning permission.But is this the most environmentally friendly approach?Commentator John Gibbons gives his thoughts to Matt on The Last Word.Hit the ‘Play' button on this page to hear the piece.

Human rights lawyer David Haigh joins The Last Word to discuss the harsh reality behind Dubai's ‘paradise' image amid the ongoing Iran conflict.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Musician and composer Colm Mac Con Iomaire, is the latest inductee into the Last Word Culture Club.He talks to Matt about being a founding member of The Frames (numbers 92 and 31 in Today FM's 100 Greatest Irish Songs) and working with The Swell Season before launching his solo career. Colm also discusses his favourite movies, books and music, including a once in a lifetime festival at Tramore in 1993.To catch the full conversation, press the 'play' button on this page.

A nightmare performance in the Champions League for Tottenham Hotspurs against Atletico Madrid saw the team's goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky substituted after just 17 minutes.Tony Cascarino, former Republic of Ireland international, joins The Last Word to discuss whether Spurs interim manager, Igor Tudor, made the right call in taking Kinsky off the pitch and what's going wrong for the club.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

The latest figures for car sales in Ireland indicate that electric vehicles will outpace the combined sales of petrol and diesel cars this year and this may speed up if petrol and diesel prices continue to rise due to the war in Iran.Paddy Comyn, head of automotive content and communications at DoneDeal, and Geraldine Herbert, motoring editor with the Sunday Independent, join The Last Word to discuss what's happening in both the new and used EV markets and the issues that may be putting people off making the switch to electric.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Your broadband, TV or phone bill could get steeper next month after Eir, Sky, Three and Vodafone all announced price increases from April.The cost could see some packages rise by €100 per year.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.

President Donald Trump said on Monday that the war in Iran is a "short-term excursion" but his defence chief has warned that the United States' offensive won't end until Iran is "totally and decisively defeated", raising further questions about the Trump administration's objectives in the middle east.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!

Clinical Psychologist and Adjunct Associate Professor at UCD, Dr David Coleman, talks to Matt about his new book, Fear Less. It's a 10-step guide to helping children take charge of anxiety.To catch the full conversation, press the 'play' button on this page.

Lebanon's president Joseph Aoun has called for talks with Israel to negotiate a plan to end the conflict with Hezbollah. The calls come as the death toll in Lebanon from Israeli strikes nears 500.According to the United Nations, over 700,000 people - including 200,000 children - have been displaced over the past 9 days.Bel Trew, Chief International Correspondent with The Independent, speaks to Matt from Beirut to explain the situation.Hit the ‘Play' button on this page to hear the piece.

Scotland blew this year's Six Nations Championship wide open when they beat strong favourites France 50-40 at Murrayfield.Elsewhere, Ireland secured a bonus point win over Wales at the Aviva Stadium to keep their Triple Crown hopes alive, but did old issues rear their heads once again?Meanwhile, is Steve Borthwick's job as England manager in doubt after losing to Italy for the first time in Six Nations history?Paul Wallace and Off The Ball's Will O'Callaghan speak to Matt about the weekend's action.

John Mooney, Investigations Editor with the Sunday Times, talks to Matt about his forensic investigation with Bellingcat into Christy Snr and Daniel Kinahan, who have been living in Dubai for a number of years, and who were thought to be living underground since a US bounty was offered for information leading to the arrest of the criminal gang leaders.To catch the full conversation, press the 'play' button on this page.

President Catherine Connolly's statement on violence in the Middle East is expected to increase pressure on Taoiseach Micheál Martin to take a stand when he visits the White House for St Patrick's Day.Ciarán Ahern, Labour TD for Dublin South West, and Larry Donnelly, law lecturer at University of Galway, join The Last Word to discuss whether the Taoiseach should use the opportunity of the Oval Office meeting to express Ireland's concerns about the war in Iran.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Sarah Slattery from thetravelexpert.ie joins The Last Word to chat about the great destinations Irish holidaymakers can fly to from Ireland West Airport Knock.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

As Iran continues to fire drones and missiles across the Gulf region, Irish stars including Marty Morrissey, Ryan Tubridy and Caelan Doris offered their best wishes to the thousands of Irish people living in the UAE.Emily Keegan, Today FM news reporter, and Dave Hanratty, podcast producer and host of No Encores podcast, join The Last Word to discuss this and more of the week's trending stories.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

A government review of legislation that gives employees the right to request working from home has been criticised by unions, who say there doesn't need to be any changes to the current law.Minister for Small Business, Retail and Employment Alan Dillon TD will ask the Workplace Relations Commission to give clearer guidance for employees applying for remote work.Dr. Laura Bambrick, Head of Social Policy at the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, speaks to Matt on The Last Word about the move.Hit the ‘Play' button on this page to hear the piece.

Earlier this week, Friends of the Earth warned that Irish households are still too dependent on the use of fossil fuels and therefore are likely to experience higher energy bills as the conflict in the Middle East continues to escalate.Environmental commentator John Gibbons speaks to Matt on Thursday's The Last Word.Hit the ‘Play' button on this page to hear the piece.

Meta contractors are being told to review highly sensitive and intimate footage of Meta glasses users who may not be aware they are recording, according to a new investigation.Andy O'Donoghue joins The Last Word to discuss this and also to explain what's going on with the AI company Anthropic and the United States' Pentagon.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Poet Dearbhla Mescal is the latest inductee into the Last Word Culture Club, where she tells Matt about her debut poetry collection, Finding Joy.Dearbhla also talks to Matt about the culture that influences her from music, to film to theatre, and she also reflects on being mum to musician Nell and actor Paul.

Earlier this week, An Taoiseach Micheál Martin said there's a “degree” of price gouging being done by fuel companies in the wake of US-Israeli strikes in Iran.The Irish Road Hauliers Association has warned that the price of diesel could go beyond €2 per litre.Charlie Weston, Personal Finance Editor at the Irish Independent and CEO of Fuels for Ireland, Kevin McPartlan speak to Matt on The Last Word.Hit the ‘Play' button on this page to hear the piece.

As US-Israel strikes on Iran continue, President Donald Trump's war aims remain unclear as his administration officials have given conflicting reasons for the US operation.Edward Burke, assistant professor in the History of War since 1945 at UCD, Cal Thomas, syndicated columnist, and journalist 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!

The National Transport Authority's Walking and Cycling Index for 2025 has found that over 600k car journeys in Ireland's five largest cities are avoided every day, leading to a reduction of 120,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions annually.Feljin Jose, Green Party Councillor and Maeve O'Connell, Fine Gael TD, speak to Matt on The Last Word.Hit the 'Play' button on this page to hear the chat.

On Saturday, GAA Congress was temporarily adjourned after protestors made their way into the event in Croke Park.Protestors were marching against the GAA's sponsorship deal with Allianz for the national football & hurling league, which runs until 2030.GAA President Jarlath Burns said the protests were “unacceptable” and that “a line had been crossed”.Colm Keys, GAA Correspondent with the Irish Independent, speaks to Matt on The Last Word.Hit the ‘Play' button on this page to hear the piece.

The escalating conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran has caused widespread disruption to air travel.Eoghan Corry, travel journalist, and Tom Randles, president of the Irish Travel Agents Association, join The Last Word to discuss what this means for passengers flying to or through the region and the potential long term impacts of this latest conflict on global aviation.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page?

The Irish Government is advising the 22,000 or more Irish citizens in the Gulf region to shelter in place.Matt talks to Catriona Lougran, communications director with CTG in Dubai and John Hayes, an Irish journalist and presenter on Al Arabiya English Channel in Dubai, about the air strikes launched over the region at the weekend, and what they are expecting over the coming days.To catch the full conversation, press the 'play' button on this page.

Lorcan Nyhan, Head of Training at the Communications Clinic and journalist Lise Hand join Matt on The Last Word for The Week Trending.Among the topics up for discussion were whether the national anthem should be taught in schools, the fallout from the controversy at this year's BAFTA Awards and Thomas Gould's accent making headlines in Jamaica.Hit the ‘Play' button on this page to hear the chat.

This week, Minister for Local Government James Browne suggested that the OPW should have the option to buy homes at risk of repeated flooding and demolish them to develop flood areas, rather than spending money to build flood defences.John Gibbons speaks to Matt on The Last Word about Minister Browne's comments.Hit the ‘Play' button on this page to hear the piece.

Jennifer Bray, Political Editor Of The Sunday Times, talks to Matt about her debut novel, The Lies Between Us.Centering on the warring Brown sisters, the book deals with the fall out from the disappearance of Susannah Brown. Jennifer also talks about a life-altering attack that happened to her as a young journalist at the beginning of her career. To catch the full conversation, press the 'play' button on this page.

Are you a sports fanatic or a movie buff? Andy O'Donoghue joins The Last Word to run through some of the best tech available to create your own home cinema.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Actor, writer, and director Andrew McCarthy is the latest inductee into The Last Word's Culture Club, with Bob Dylan, John Williams and The Brady Bunch among some of his biggest influences.Andrew is currently starring in The Crucible, which runs in the Gaiety Theatre until March 21st.Hit the 'Play' button on this page to hear his picks.

Irish Households are paying twice as much for their electricity as data centres, according to a report by Eurostat.Charlie Weston, personal finance editor with the Irish Independent, joins The Last Word to discuss this and also claims that Irish banks are ripping off young savers. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

The High Court will rule next week whether the mother and sister of Enoch Burke were in contempt of court when they interrupted a case involving Enoch last week.Enoch Burke has now served 601 days in prison for contempt of court.Judge Brian Cregan heard submissions from Martina and Ammi Burke today about why they should not be imprisoned. Shane Phelan, Legal Affairs Editor at Mediahuis Ireland, joins Matt to discuss the ongoing case.

Gabriel Sherman, author of Bonfire Of The Murdochs, talks to Matt about the succession story behind the Murdoch media empire, the driving forces behind Rupert Murdoch's ambitions and what drove the family apart.To listen to the full conversation, press the 'play' button on this page.

Government has allocated an additional €19 million for special needs assistants (SNAs) to ensure there are no cuts in the 2026/27 academic year following outcry over plans to reduce the service provision in almost 200 schools.But SNAs, unions and parents say that this measure is just 'kicking the can down the road' and the Government must now engage with stakeholders to address issues relating to special education.Tabitha Monahan, political reporter with the Irish Independent, and Jesslyn Henry, SNA and Social Democrats councillor, join The Last Word to discuss.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

The US Justice Department buried some Epstein files which included allegations that President Donald Trump sexually abused a minor, according to an investigation by NPR.This comes despite Attorney General Pam Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche telling Congress that no Epstein records were withheld or redacted “on the basis of embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity, including to any government official, public figure, or foreign dignitary.”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!

Tuesday, February 24th 2026 makes it 4 years since Ukraine was invaded by Russian forces. In those four years, it's estimated that over 15,000 civilians have been killed, with 2025 recording the highest death toll since 2022.Lara Marlowe, journalist and contributor to the Irish Times, speaks to Matt about the reality that Ukrainians have faced since the invasion and whether their faith in Europe to help end the war is fading.Hit the ‘Play' button on this page to hear the piece.

Arsenal travelled to Tottenham on Sunday and got their Premier League title challenge back on track with a comprehensive 4-1 victory over their North London rivals.The result leaves Spurs sitting in 16th in the table and 4 points above the relegation zone. Given their current form, is the prospect of relegation now very real?Elsewhere on Sunday, violence erupted in Guadalajara after the leader of the Mexican cartel known as "El Mencho" was killed. Should they qualify, Ireland's first group game for the 2026 World Cup will be in Guadalajara. Are more questions being raised about the suitability of the location of this year's tournament, and are we likely to see fewer fans at games due to unrest?Miguel Delaney, Chief Football Writer with The Independent, speaks to Mat on The Last Word.Hit the 'Play' button on this page to hear the piece.

Passengers travelling between Ireland and Wales this week will be scanned with facial recognition technology as part of a pilot scheme that's being rolled out across the UK.The move has received criticism, with Dr. Elizabeth Farries from University College Dublin saying that there are “established problems” with the technology.She, alongside travel commentator Eoghan Corry, speak to Matt on The Last Word.Hit the ‘Play' button on this page to hear the conversation.

The BBC has removed its coverage of Sunday night's BAFTA awards from iPlayer after a racial slur was broadcast on BBC One and remained uncorrected for a number of hours.It was said by John Davidson, a campaigner for Tourette syndrome, as Delroy Lindo and Michael B Jordan took to the stage to present an award.The broadcaster has since apologised for the controversy and said that the footage will be re-edited.Joe O'Shea and Elaine Burke speak to Matt on The Last Word.Hit the ‘Play' button on this page to hear the conversation.

Over half of Irish workers feel that their pay does not fairly reflect the skills and effort that they bring to their role, according to a new survey published by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU).Owen Reidy, general secretary of ICTU, and Neil McDonnell, chief executive of ISME, join The Last Word to discuss the level of job quality in the Irish employment environment.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

On the Week Trending, TV producer Paddy Duffy and journalist and podcast host Elaine Burke discuss the conviction of an Austrian climber for leaving his girlfriend to freeze to death.They also discuss the impending release of classified files in the US relating to alien life, and the celebration in stamp form of the Aran jumper.To catch the full conversation, press the 'play' button on this page.