
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

Apr 28, 2025 • 8min
Gaelic Football: Meath Stun Dublin To Reach Leinster SFC Final
Meath and Louth will contest this year’s Leinster Senior Football Final after the Royals beat Dublin at O’Moore Park in Portlaoise on Sunday.This will be the first time since 2010 that Dublin are not in the decider. Instead, Meath will face Louth after they beat Kildare on Saturday.Former Kildare footballer Johnny Doyle and Will O’Callaghan from Off The Ball spoke to Matt about the weekend’s results.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the chat.

Apr 28, 2025 • 8min
The Last Word on Travel: Seville
Seville is a city of incredible architecture, amazing food and colourful flamenco dancing. Sinead Kennedy, host of wellness activity breaks and travel expert, joins The Last Word to talk about the best sites and activities in the southern Spanish city.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Apr 28, 2025 • 11min
Union Calls for Climate Leave
Tom Fitzgerald, Unite Regional Coordinating officer, and Neil McDonnell, ISME Chief Executive join Matt to discuss trade union Unite's call for Climate Leave in the event of extreme weather.Unite is seeking a meeting with the Minister for Enterprise to bring their requests into the conversation for future legislation.Listen here.

Apr 25, 2025 • 12min
Revolut To Offer Mortgages In Ireland
Michael Dowling, managing director of Michael Dowling Mortgage and Financial Services, and Brendan Burgess, founder of askaboutmoney.com, speculate on the new mortgage product from Revolut and how it might impact the market.To catch the full conversation, press the play button on this page.

Apr 24, 2025 • 12min
Kneecap Criticised For Pro-Palestine Chant At Coachella
Belfast/Derry trio Kneecap have been criticised for pro-Palestinian chants during their Coachella sets, with TV personality Sharon Osbourne urging US authorities to revoke their visas.Given how outspoken they’ve been about political issues in the past, should we be surprised by the move? Furthermore, should we be more encouraging to artists and celebrities to express their views on world events?Dave Hanratty, host of the No Encore podcast, joined Matt to discuss this.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation.

Apr 24, 2025 • 13min
The Last Word On The Environment: Was Pope Francis An Environmentalist?
Tributes have been paid to Pope Francis, whose death was announced on Monday morning.UN climate official Simon Stiell said that the Pope was “a towering figure of human dignity, and an unflinching global champion of climate action as a vital means to deliver it”.Environmental commentator John Gibbons spoke to Matt about this.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the chat.

Apr 24, 2025 • 9min
From Smart Taps To Robot Lawn Mowers: The Best In Garden Tech
Andy Donoghue has his top garden gadget picks from watering systems, to lawnmowers, plant sensors, outdoor lighting and outdoor sockets.To catch the full conversation, press the play button on this page.

Apr 23, 2025 • 31min
Culture Club: Will Sliney
Will Sliney, comic book artist and creator of Draw With Will, talks to Matt about his favourite music, film, TV, books and other cultural touchstones that have influenced his life and work.To catch the full conversation, press the play button on this page.

Apr 23, 2025 • 7min
Fears For Irish Jobs As Intel To Announce Plans To Cut 20% Of Global Staff
Intel will announce plans to cut more than 20 per cent of its staff this week as part of a bid to streamline operations, according to Bloomberg news. The global tech giant employs over 5,000 people across Ireland.Ian Guider, columnist with the Business Post, joins The Last Word to discuss the future of Intel and to run through more of the latest business news.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Apr 23, 2025 • 13min
Personal Finance: Customers Paying More For Less As Health Insurers Cut Back On Benefit Plans
Insurers are cutting benefits on health plans as they hike the price of premiums, meaning that customers are now getting less value for their money.Meanwhile, the government’s take from taxes on home energy and motor fuels has topped €4bn for the first time, with Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín TD accusing the government of “cashing in” on the cost-of-living crisis.Charlie Weston, Personal Finance Editor at the Irish Independent spoke to Matt on Wednesday’s The Last Word.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation.