Magnified with Matt Cooper

In the latest episode of Magnified, Matt speaks to Mark Henry.Mark is the author of ‘In Fact: An Optimist’s Guide to Ireland at 100’, where he looks at how despite the challenges that we face when it comes to housing, the cost of living and other issues, Ireland is broadly a very positive, enjoyable country to live in.He also talks about what Ireland’s future could look like, and how decisions we make about such things like climate change, global warming and infrastructure can impact the quality of life for later generations.This series of Magnified is brought to you by Intact Insurance.

On this week’s Magnified, Matt meets Seán Farrell, the new Chief Executive of Trócaire. Seán was appointed to his role in October of this year having previously been with the organisation for 20 years.He speaks to Matt about the humanitarian work that brought him to Asia and Africa, the devastating impact that war and violence has on children and his optimism for the prospect of solving world hunger.Matt also questions him about whether the media is neglectful in their coverage of the ongoing conflict in Sudan.This series of Magnified is brought to you by Intact Insurance.

Niall Breslin, aka Bressie, the Irish singer/songwriter who first shot to fame with The Blizzards, joins Matt for this week’s episode of Magnified.He speaks to Matt about the release of his new album ‘The Place That Has Never Been Wounded’, which sees him go in a different direction and dip into neoclassical music.He also discusses his pivot into hosting his podcast ‘Where Is My Mind’, why he decided to step away from it, and what needs to be done to improve mental health services in Ireland.This series is brought to you by Intact Insurance.

Paul Johnston is this week’s guest on Magnified. Paul recently finished up in his role as British Ambassador to Ireland after five years.In this episode, Paul talks about what it takes to become an ambassador of a country, how he and his wife fell in love with Ireland and decided to make it their forever home, and what lies ahead in his new job as Director General of the Irish Universities Association.This series is brought to you by Intact Insurance.

On this week's Magnified, Matt is joined by former Kerry footballer Marc Ó Sé.During his career with his county Marc earned five All-Ireland titles, along with 10 Munster championship and 3 national football league medals. He was also awarded 3 All-Stars and was named Footballer of the Year in 2007.In this episode, Marc talks about the pressure of growing up as a member of the Gaelic football's most famous families and his determination to prove himself under the management of his uncle, Páidí.He also speaks fondly of growing up in rural Kerry, his transition from player to pundit and the importance of keeping the Irish language alive in 2025.This series is brought to you by Intact Insurance.

Former All-Ireland winning hurler with Kilkenny Walter Walsh is the latest guest on Magnified.He founded his tech business SocialTies with Brendan Kavanagh earlier this year which saw him create the Kilkenny Cats Social app. The app is a one stop shop for Kilkenny GAA fans and provides news updates and content for clubs around the county.On this week's episode of Magnified, Walter talks about his decision to leave his teaching profession and enter the business world, the ups and downs of being an intercounty hurler and what it was like to play under legendary manager Brian Cody.This series is brought to you by Intact Insurance.

Hannah Wrixon is co-founder and CEO of KELLA, an exclusive company which focuses on supporting female business leaders.Hannah founded KELLA on International Women’s Day 2025, having previously started and sold three other businesses. She has 25 years’ experience in the business industry.In the first episode of the new series, Hannah speaks to Matt about the struggles that women face in the workplace, her determination to succeed in male-dominated industries, “mum guilt” and the importance of supporting working mothers.This series is brought to you by Intact Insurance.

Louis Walsh is one of the most prolific music moguls of the last 20 years, having managed pop groups such as Westlife, Boyzone and Girls Aloud.Louis joined Matt to talk about growing up in Kiltimagh in Co. Mayo, his time as an X Factor judge, his relationship with Simon Cowell and his experience of living in the Big Brother House.He also addressed the criticism he received after the release of the recent Boyzone documentary on Sky.This series is brought to you by Close Brothers Motor Finance.

On this week’s Magnified, Matt spoke to Yvonne Brewer, Country Manager for Ireland at Auticon. Auticon is an IT solutions company that prides itself on its inclusivity and which is now the largest majority-autistic company in the world.In this week’s episode, Yvonne speaks candidly about the passion she has for her work, the importance of implementing inclusivity and diversity practices in the workplace, and her decision to change her career path after being diagnosed with breast cancer.This series is brought to you by Close Brothers Motor Finance.

Pat Farrell is Chief Executive of Irish Institutional Property, but has a CV that covers an extensive range of roles and industries. Among them include General Manager at Sligo General Hospital at just 24 years of age, Chief Executive at the Irish Banking Federation and General Secretary of Fianna Fáil between 1991 and 1997.In this week’s Magnified, Matt speaks to Pat about his career and his influence on some pivotal moments in Ireland’s economic history, the country’s housing shortage and his decision to leave politics after working under Charles Haughey, Albert Reynolds and Bertie Ahern.This series is brought to you by Close Brothers Motor Finance.