The Last Word with Matt Cooper

Sinead O’Carroll, Editor of TheJournal.ie, joined Matt to talk about the stories that have been making headlines ahead of the 2024 Olympic Games. Up for discussion was Sarah Lavin & Shane Lowry being selected as Ireland’s flag bearers, the inclusion of Steven van de Velde in the Dutch volleyball team, and Charlotte Dujardin stepping down from the British dressage side. Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the chat.

Jim Waldron, Spokesperson for the National Private Hire and Taxi Association, discussed the reviews into passenger safety measures in taxis after the conviction and sentencing of rapist Raymond Shorten. To catch the full conversation, press the 'play' button below.

Have you considered retrofitting your home, but you're not sure of the steps involved in the process? Matt was joined by Dr. Ciaran Byrne, the SEAI’s Director of National Retrofit, to explain what’s involved. Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation.

133 Irish athletes will take part in this year’s Paris Olympics, but which events do we have the best medal hopes in? Matt spoke to Gavin Cooney, Sportswriter with The42.ie and Neil O’Riordan, Chief Sportswriter with The Irish Sun, to preview the coming weeks. Press the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the chat.

Frank Greaney, Today FM courts correspondent, joins The Last Word to discuss the second sentencing of the taxi driver Raymond Shorten. In June, Shorten was found guilty of raping two female passengers in the back of his cab in 2022. To hear the full discussion press the 'Play' button on this page.

Andy O'Donoghue explained how technology in sport has evolved to revolutionised sporting events such as Wimbledon and The Olympic Games. To catch the full conversation, press the 'play' button below

Environmental commentator John Gibbons joined Matt for The Last Word’s weekly environment slot. up for discussion was climate protests at Frankfurt airport, and can the Paris Olympics meet their target of being the greenest games ever? Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation.

Willie White, director of the Dublin Theatre Festival, joins The Last Word for the Culture Club. He discusses his favourite music, movies, tv and of course theatre. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Maureen Callahan, journalist and author of Ask Not: The Kennedys and the Women They Destroyed, talks about her expose of the generations of men from the Kennedy political dynasty and how they treated the women in their lives.

Cabinet have approved a deal on the future funding of RTÉ which will see the broadcaster receive €725 million in public money over three years. Ian Guider, columnist with the Business Post, joins The Last Word to discuss where this money will come from and what it will be used for. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Department of Finance officials have advised the government that congestion charges and car parking levies should not be implemented in Ireland until adequate public transport and other alternatives are made available to road users. Matt spoke to Fianna Fáil TD Paul McAuliffe & climate and environmental researcher Sadhbh O’Neill about this. Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation.

Cal Thomas, nationally syndicated US columnist, and Marion McKeone, US correspondent with The Business Post, join The Last Word to discuss US President Joe Biden's legacy, Kamal Harris' presidential campaign and why the US secret service boss has resigned? To catch the full chat press the 'Play' button on this page!

On this week’s music slot, Matt wanted to know what ‘Brat Summer’ is, following the recent release of Charli XCX’s new album ‘Brat’. Dee Reddy and John Caddell were on hand to explain. Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the chat.

Sunday 21 July was the hottest day ever recorded globally, according to preliminary data from the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service. Alan O’Reilly from Carlow Weather joined The Last Word to discuss this new record and explain where the Irish summer has gone. Catch the full chat by pressing the ‘Play’ button on this page!

Covid-19 infection rates are as high as they were during the 2021 winter surge. Matt spoke to Monaghan GP Dr. Illona Duffy about the impact that the virus is having on patients. Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation.

AN interesting set of results from the first quarter of the financial year for Ryanair as they see profits slide. Will this mean summer fares will be slashed? Plus Kildare village shopping centre makes the news with new ownership.

Clare became All-Ireland hurling champions for the fifth time in their history after they defeated Cork after extra-time at Croke Park. Matt and Will O’Callaghan of Off The Ball & The Hurling Pod spoke to former Limerick hurler Joe Quaid and former All-Ireland winner with Clare Jamesie O’Connor about the result. Press the ‘Play’ button on this page to listen to the chat.

On Sunday, Joe Biden announced he is to step down from US presidential election. Matt was joined by Marion McKeone, US Correspondent with the Business Post, nationally syndicated columnist Cal Thomas, Law Lecturer at the University of Galway Larry Donnelly, and Anthony Scaramucci from The Rest is Politics US podcast to discuss what lies ahead in the remaining 4 months of the election campaign. Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation.

Frank Greaney, Today FM courts correspondent, joins The Last Word to give details on the sentencing of taxi driver Raymond Shorten for the rape of a seven-year-old child. To hear the full discussion hit the 'Play' button on this page.

Matt is joined this week by Lise Hand and Ben Finnegan to discuss the trending topics of the week. Should Politicians be photographed with pints? Why has Gaelic Football has been added to intangible heritage database? And why did the Parisian Mayor take a plunge in the Seine?