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.
Latest episodes
May 19, 2025 • 15min
The Last Word on TV and Streaming: Ireland Gave Israel 10 points in Eurovision Final
Joe O’Shea, Editor at Cork Beo, and Today FM’s own Alison Healy are here to give all the latest in this week’s TV and Streaming news.A curious Eurovision saw Ireland gave Israel the maximum 12 points in Eurovision semi-final and 10 points in the final, raising some eyebrows in the country.Everybody’s talking about the Netflix documentary covering the murder of Jason Corbett, A Deadly American Marriage, and the guys also get in their Picks of the Week.Listen here to get all the best conversation on this week’s TV and streaming.
May 19, 2025 • 16min
Campaign To Restrict Parental Rights For Killers
David French, brother of Valerie French Kilroy who was murdered by her husband James, outlines his family's campaign to have the parental rights curbed for those who kill their spouses. David remembers his sister Valerie and writes about the aftermath of her murder in his book, For Valerie.
May 16, 2025 • 11min
Have Irish Consumers Taken On Too Much Personal Debt?
New figures released by the Banking and Payments Federation Ireland have shown that in the final quarter of 2024, almost €200m was borrowed to fund car purchases.Loans for home improvement projects also hit highs never seen before.However, given the current economic climate, should borrowers exercise more caution when deciding to take out a loan?Matt spoke to Charlie Weston, Personal Finance Editor with the Irish Independent and independent economist Austin Hughes about this on The Last Word.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation.
May 15, 2025 • 14min
Living Near Golf Courses Increases Risk Of Getting Parkinson’s, Study Finds
People who live near golf courses are more likely to develop Parkinson’s disease, due to pesticides used on the lawns.That’s according to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, which looked at data from 27 counties in Wisconsin and Minnesota.John Gibbons joined Matt for Thursday’s environment slot.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation.
May 15, 2025 • 9min
The Last Word On Tech: The Best Golf Gadgets
As the US PGA gets into full swing, Andy O'Donoghue joins The Last Word to talk about all the best new golf tech.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!
May 15, 2025 • 30min
Culture Club: David Brophy
Conductor David Brophy joins The Last Word for the Culture Club!Hear all of his favourite musical and cultural picks by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!
May 14, 2025 • 7min
Goldman Sacks Eyes Household's Savings As It Considers Launching Retail Bank In Ireland
Goldman Sachs’s is considering launching its online retail bank Marcus in Ireland, a move that could give Wall Street access to billions of euros in deposits from domestic households.Ian Guider, columnist with the Business Post, joins The Last Word to discuss how the banking giant could shake up the Irish market and more of the latest business news.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!
May 14, 2025 • 11min
Why Are Irish Teens Unhappy?
A new report from UNICEF has found that Irish teenagers are among the least happy in high-income countries despite leading in academic performance.Aibhlín O’Leary, head of advocacy with UNICEF, and Dr Colman Noctor, child and adolescent psychotherapist, join The Last Word to discuss why teenagers in Ireland are less happy and what can be done to help them.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!
May 14, 2025 • 9min
Cost Of Raising A Child In Ireland Rises To €169,000
A survey by Laya Life has found that raising a child in Ireland now costs €15,000 per year, which is an increase of almost 40% in the last 10 years.The first year of the child’s life and teen years have been found to be the most expensive, with the cost of pocket money increasing by 86% since 2015 to an average of €1,196 per year.Charlie Weston, Personal Finance Editor with the Irish Independent, spoke to Matt on The Last Word.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the chat.
May 13, 2025 • 17min
The Last Word On The US: Trump To Accept 'Palace In The Sky' Gift From Qatar
US President Donald Trump has claimed it would be "stupid" not to accept the gift of a free Qatari plane, described as a "palace in the sky", to replace Air Force One.There has been much criticism of Trump's plan to accept the gift, even amongst his MAGA supporters. 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!
