The Last Word with Matt Cooper

Dee Reddy and Dave Hanratty had the latest music news including the engagement of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce. They had an extensive preview of the biggest ever Electric Picnic, taking place in Stradbally, Co Laois.

In this week's The Last Word on the US, Will O'Callaghan talks to Marion McKeone and Cal Thomas about President Donald Trump's new order to remove the Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, his plans for future National Guard deployments and a potential future meeting between Trump and Kim Jong Un. Hit Play on this page to listen now.

206 former EU and national ambassadors and former senior EU officials, have signed a letter urging the EU to take action against Israel over the violence in Gaza following the official confirmation of Famine in the strip. Also today, thousands of activists have joined hostage families for what they’re calling “a day of disruption” calling for an immediate return of the hostages held by Hamas. Will O'Callaghan is joined by Europe Correspondent for EuroNews Shona Murray and Feature Story Reporter in Tel Aviv Blake Shifton to discuss all the latest, Hit Play on this page to listen now.

The Business Post's Ian Guider joins Will O'Callaghan to discuss the latest Business News. On this episode they discuss the government's newly announced supports for business that will be affected by Donald Trump's Tariffs and the new agreement between the Advertising Standards Authority and the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission which allows them to share the details of influencers who are not complying with advertising rules. Hit Play on this page to listen now.

Former Dublin GAA manager Jim Gavin, who led Dublin to a historic five in a row, is the latest speculated candidate in the presidential election. With only Catherine Connolly formally confirmed as a candidate and the election rapidly approaching, Will O'Callaghan spoke to Editor of the Business Post Danny McConnell and Political Correspondent Tabitha Monahan about all the latest candidate news. Hit Play on this page now to catch the full conversation.

Sarah Slattery from TheTravelExpert.ie returned to The Last Word on Monday to highlight some of the best travel deals available to you if you're planning a winter break this year. Hit the 'Play' button on this page to hear her suggestions.

Pioneer of electronic music Gary Numan spoke to Matt about his extensive career in music and his new tour for the 45th anniversary of his album Telekon. To catch the interview, press the 'play' button on this page.

Donald Trump claims that he is a grass expert as the owner of several golf courses, Mark Zuckerberg has been buying up houses in Palo Alto for triple their market price and Denmark has abolished VAT on books to stop a 'reading crisis'. Matt is joined by US correspondent with The Business Post Marione McKeone and host of No Encores Podcast Dave Hanratty to discuss this week's trending stories. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

The class of 2025 has been awarded fewer top grades as grade deflation is introduced for the first time since the 2020 inflation. The proportion of H1s is down by 2.6% and O1s down by 2.1% compared to last year. Questions are now being asked about what this will mean for CAO offers next week. Matt was joined by Irish Times Education Columnist and Guidance Counsellor Brian Mooney and President of Teacher Union Ireland Anthony Quinn to discuss the results

Joining Matt this week for The Last Word On The Environment is Environmental and Climate Change Researcher Sadhbh O’Neill. They discuss the more than 40,000 fish that have been killed in the River Blackwater in Cork, how wildfire smoke is more dangerous than previously thought and how Donald Trump is reducing tax subsidies for wind and solar energy initiatives. Hit Play on this page to Listen Now.

Co-producer of the Netflix documentary on the same case, Brian Carroll sits down with Matt to discuss his new book A Deadly Marriage. In his book he reveals new details about the murder of Jason Corbett by his wife Molly Martens and her father, Thomas. Hit Play on this page to listen now.

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, Minister for Health, spoke to Matt about the roll out of the RSV immunisation programme for children. The minister also addressed the controversy surrounding continued waiting times for children needing scoliosis surgery and delays with the completion of the National Children's Hospital. To listen to the full conversation, press the 'play' button on this page.

Andy O'Donoghue joins Matt to run through all of the Back to College Tech essentials and chats about the best practice for AI use by students. Hit Play on this page to Listen Now

Actor Frank Blake is the latest guest to be inducted into the Culture Club! He joins The Last Word to discuss his favourite music, movies, TV and more. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon joined Matt to discuss life after politics, her hopes for an independent Scotland, her meetings with Queen Elizabeth and her new book, Frankly. To catch the full conversation press the 'play' button on this page.

New figures have shown that people aged over 50 are the biggest group seeking personal insolvency solutions in Ireland. Mitchell O’Brien of IRS Ireland found that most of his insolvent clients are over 50, and many are nearing retirement age. Charlie Weston, Personal Finance Editor with the Irish Independent, spoke to The Last Word on Wednesday. Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the chat.

Ireland didn't make the cut for the annual ranking of the world's richest countries published by The Economist magazine because it is not "truly rich". Ian Guider, columnist with the Business Post, joins The Last Word to discuss whether Ireland’s wealth ranking is a true measure and more of the latest business news. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

European leaders went on the charm offensive in their visit to the White House with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as they sought to ensure that US President Donald Trump's doesn't bow to Russia in an attempt to end the war in Ukraine. On The Last Word, Marion McKeone and Cal Thomas are joined by Edward Burke, lecturer in war studies at UCD, to discuss where things stand between Trump, Ukraine, Europe and Russia after the White House summit. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Award-winning Irish author Sally Rooney has said she would donate her earnings from her books to support Palestine Action, with Downing Street warning that she risks facing a terrorist offence if she does so. The group was recently proscribed as a terrorist organisation in the UK. Mark Paul, London Correspondent with the Irish Times, spoke to Frank Greaney on Tuesday’s The Last Word. Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the piece.

With incredible wildlife, mesmerising culture and stunning white sand beaches, Sri Lanka has so much to offer. Sarah Slattery from thetravelexpert.ie joins The Last Word to give her guide to visiting the beautiful island in the Indian Ocean. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!