The Last Word with Matt Cooper

Two political figures, Charles Haughey and Garret FitzGerald, dominated Irish politics throughout the 1980sThe rivalry between the two party leaders, who each led all of the Irish governments in that decade, was bitter and their opposing personalities shaped Irish life during this era.Eoin O’Malley, associate professor in political science in DCU, joins The Last Word to discuss his book 'Charlie Vs Garret: The Rivalry That Shaped Modern Ireland'. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Tech journalist Andy O'Donoghue joins the discussion on Meta's new Ray-Ban smart glasses, which promise to unlock 'superintelligence' through augmented reality. He delves into the evolution of smart glasses, highlighting past failures and current usability improvements. O'Donoghue shares insights on features like video capture, AR displays, and the glasses' future in content creation. He also addresses privacy concerns and potential competition from Apple and Google, along with the broader implications for Meta’s metaverse strategy.

Acclaimed author Hugo Hamilton was the latest guest to join The Last Word’s Culture Club.Along with choosing his favourite music, TV, film and podcasts, he discussed the release of his new book ‘Conversation with the Sea’.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear all his choices.

Charlotte Blease, an Associate Professor at Uppsala University and author of 'Dr Bot,' delves into the transformative potential of AI in healthcare. She highlights how AI can drastically reduce missed diagnoses by uncovering hidden patterns, especially for rare diseases. The discussion also touches on AI's ability to enhance radiology accuracy, alleviate clinician burnout, and expedite drug discovery. Blease urges for digitized health records and addresses the importance of equity, particularly in women's health, amidst the challenges of data bias.

It may only be September, but is it already time to start saving for the expensive Christmas season? Charlie Weston, personal finance editor with Irish Independent, joins The Last Word to discuss how you can start budgeting for Christmas so that it doesn't break the bank.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

The Government is under increasing pressure to include energy supports for households in the upcoming Budget to offset hikes in electricity and gas bills.Daniel McConnell, editor of the Business Post, and Tabitha Monahan, political reporter with the Irish Independent, join The Last Word to discuss what could be coming in Budget 2026 as the Government continues to insist that there will be no additional cost-of-living package. They also discuss the latest news from the presidential race as independent Gareth Sheridan gets closer to the ballot and Social Democrats TD Eoin Hayes' blackface controversy.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Marion McKeone and Cal Thomas join The Last Word to discuss the latest news from the United States including the death of the iconic actor and director Robert Redford and the continued fallout from the shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

The 2025 National Ploughing Championships got underway in Screggan, Co. Offaly on Tuesday with up to 300,000 people expected to attend over the coming days.Macra has called for “immediate action” to tackle the drop in numbers of young farmers in Ireland, with just 4% now under the age of 35.Catriona Morrissey, News Editor at the Irish Farmers Journal, and Sean Kelly from Macra spoke to Matt on The Last Word.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation.

Former Munster, Ireland and British and Irish Lions scrum half Conor Murray has released his autobiography, Cloud Nine: My Life In Rugby.He spoke to Matt about his decorated career, how Munster's "conservative" approach to recruiting players impacted the province's success, and what lies ahead now that he's retired from the game.Hit the 'Play' button on this page to hear the chat.

This week on The Last Word on TV and Streaming, Matt is joined by Elaine Burke and Joe O'Shea to discuss the big winners from the 2025 Emmys including Netflix's Adolescence, which saw 15 year old Owen Cooper become the youngest male Emmy winner ever.They also discuss the growing list of countries that say they will not participate in Eurovision unless Israel is banned.Hit Play on this page to listen now.