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The Last Word with Matt Cooper

Latest episodes

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Mar 24, 2025 • 14min

Have Diagnoses For Autism, ADHD, Long Covid And Other Disorders Gone To Far?

Has medicine gone too far in diagnosing disorders like autism, ADHD or even long Covid? Can these diagnoses sometimes hinder a person more than they help?Neurologist Dr Suzanne O'Sullivan joins The Last Word to discuss the dangers of over medicalisation as explored in her new book 'The Age of Diagnosis'.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!
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Mar 21, 2025 • 26min

The Week Trending: Conor McGregor's Presidential Bid, Tesla Boycott And The Happiest Places In The World

Following his St Patrick's Day White House visit, Conor McGregor has said he will run for president of Ireland this year; Tesla cars are being boycott in protest against Elon Musk; and what countries are the happiest?Laura Byrne, voices editor and podcast producer with TheJournal.ie, and Eoghan Tomás McDermott, managing director of The Communication Clinic, join The Last Word to discuss the week's trending stories.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!
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Mar 21, 2025 • 9min

Woman Says She Was Falsely Identified As GAA Catfish

A teacher has claimed that she was wrongly identified as the so-called “GAA Catfish”, and has secured a short term injunction restraining her employer from continuing a disciplinary process against her.The story was originally told on The 2 Johnnies podcast and detailed how a woman was using fake online profiles to dupe men into romantic relationships.Carl O’Brien, Education Editor with The Irish Times, explained the story on The Last Word.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation.
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Mar 20, 2025 • 19min

How To Silence Your Inner Critic And Reclaim Your Confidence

In his latest book, high performance coach Gerry Hussey examines the power of the inner voice and how to silence the criticisms that are holding you back from your dreams.Gerry joins The Last Word to discuss his new book 'I Am, I Can, I Will'.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!
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Mar 20, 2025 • 13min

Greenpeace Faces Bankruptcy After Court Orders It To Pay $660m For Defaming Oil Firm

A jury in North Dakota has ordered Greenpeace to pay $660m to the company Energy Transfer after finding it liable for defamation over protests that took place in 2016 & 2017.After the verdict, Greenpeace said that lawsuits such as this are “destroying the right to peaceful protest”.John Gibbons joined Matt for Thursday’s environment slot on The Last Word.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear their discussion.
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Mar 20, 2025 • 12min

Tech Thursday: Cutting The Amazon Cord, Part Two

Andy O'Donoghue runs through a comprehensive list of alternatives to Amazon streaming, smart home, shopping and audiobook offerings.To catch the full conversation, press the 'play' button on this page.
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Mar 20, 2025 • 7min

Government To Miss Housing Targets Over Next Three Years

The Government will miss its own housing targets over the next three years, according to new analysis from the Central Bank. Ian Guider, columnist with the Business Post, joins The Last Word to discuss why housing delivery is likely to fall short in the coming years and more of the day's business news.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!
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Mar 19, 2025 • 39min

Culture Club: Gary Lightbody

Snow Patrol frontman Gary Lightbody has released his first book “The Forest is the Path”, sharing its name with the band’s latest studio album.To celebrate its release, Gary joined Matt for the latest edition of The Last Word’s Culture Club.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear all his choices.
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Mar 19, 2025 • 12min

New Changes Could See Oral Exams Introduced To Leaving Cert English

Leaving Cert English students could face oral exams worth 20 per cent at the end of fifth year, with the written exam reducing from two papers to one by 2027.There are further plans to introduce a creative writing task, where students will be tasked with writing an original piece during class time.Jennifer Horgan, English teacher and Irish Examiner Columnist and Brian Mooney, Irish Times Education Columnist and guidance counsellor, spoke to Matt about this proposal.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation.
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Mar 18, 2025 • 17min

The Last Word On The US: Trump And Putin Have Phone Call Over Ukraine Ceasefire

US President Donald Trump has had a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss a ceasefire in Ukraine.Cal Thomas, nationally syndicated US 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!

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