The Last Word with Matt Cooper

The latest cost estimate for building Dublin’s Metrolink was approximately €23 billion. However, could that figure now be too low? Work is set to start in 2026, with its completion estimated to be in the mid-2030s. Dr. Sean Sweeney, Programme Director of Metrolink spoke to Matt on The Last Word. Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation.

Wallet trackers, power banks and UV scanners, Andy O'Donoghue had a run down of the best travel tech to make planned summer trips as easy as possible. To catch the full conversation, press the play button on this page.

On Wednesday, US President Donald Trump accused South Africa of committing white genocide as the country’s president Cyril Ramaphosa visited the White House. Meanwhile, two Israeli embassy staff were shot dead as they left an event at the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington DC on Wednesday night. Marion McKeone and Larry Donnelly, Law Lecturer at University of Galway & Columnist with TheJourna...

The Irish Postmasters’ Union has warned that without funding of €15 million per year for the next five years, post offices around the country face “rapid, unrestrained closures”. Ian Guider, Columnist with the Business Post, joined Matt for Wednesday’s business news. Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation.

Author Pat McCabe was this week’s entry into the Culture Club as he celebrated the release of his new book ‘Golden Glove’. Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear all his choices.

Earlier this week, a report by Daft.ie found that the average rent in Ireland has now exceeded €2,000 a month, which is almost 50% higher than it was before the Covid-19 pandemic. This, along with high insurance premiums, increasing TV and broadband prices, and the cost of nights out also rising means that low to mid-range earners have less and less disposable income available every month. Charlie...

In 2018, author Jeanine Cummins published her novel American Dirt to a fanfare of praise and expectation. It didn't take long for online opinion to turn on the author. The author was accused of cultural appropriation and misrepresentation of Latino cultures. Despite the criticism, American Dirt was a bestseller. Jeanine Cummins spoke to Matt about over coming being cancelled, her Irish and Puerto...

Cal Thomas, nationally syndicated columnist, and US Correspondent with The Business Post, Marion McKeone, join Matt the go through all the latest in US politics. With Joe Biden being diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer, and the Russia-Ukraine peace talks taking place – this week has been more than eventful in the White House. Listen here to get all the latest.

The All-Ireland Gaelic football championship sprung to life at the weekend as Dublin reminded everyone of their credentials by beating an in-form Galway side by a point at Pearse Stadium, Kerry had a comfortable win against Roscommon, and Cavan earned a superb win over Mayo in MacHale Park to put Kevin McStay’s side on the back foot for their remaining fixtures. In hurling, Limerick stormed to a 1...

Joe O’Shea, Editor at Cork Beo, and Today FM’s own Alison Healy are here to give all the latest in this week’s TV and Streaming news. A curious Eurovision saw Ireland gave Israel the maximum 12 points in Eurovision semi-final and 10 points in the final, raising some eyebrows in the country. Everybody’s talking about the Netflix documentary covering the murder of Jason Corbett, A Deadly American Ma...

David French, brother of Valerie French Kilroy who was murdered by her husband James, outlines his family's campaign to have the parental rights curbed for those who kill their spouses. David remembers his sister Valerie and writes about the aftermath of her murder in his book, For Valerie.

New figures released by the Banking and Payments Federation Ireland have shown that in the final quarter of 2024, almost €200m was borrowed to fund car purchases. Loans for home improvement projects also hit highs never seen before. However, given the current economic climate, should borrowers exercise more caution when deciding to take out a loan? Matt spoke to Charlie Weston, Personal Finance Ed...

As the US PGA gets into full swing, Andy O'Donoghue joins The Last Word to talk about all the best new golf tech. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

People who live near golf courses are more likely to develop Parkinson’s disease, due to pesticides used on the lawns. That’s according to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, which looked at data from 27 counties in Wisconsin and Minnesota. John Gibbons joined Matt for Thursday’s environment slot. Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation.

Conductor David Brophy joins The Last Word for the Culture Club! Hear all of his favourite musical and cultural picks by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Goldman Sachs’s is considering launching its online retail bank Marcus in Ireland, a move that could give Wall Street access to billions of euros in deposits from domestic households. Ian Guider, columnist with the Business Post, joins The Last Word to discuss how the banking giant could shake up the Irish market and more of the latest business news. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' butt...

A new report from UNICEF has found that Irish teenagers are among the least happy in high-income countries despite leading in academic performance. Aibhlín O’Leary, head of advocacy with UNICEF, and Dr Colman Noctor, child and adolescent psychotherapist, join The Last Word to discuss why teenagers in Ireland are less happy and what can be done to help them. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Pla...

A survey by Laya Life has found that raising a child in Ireland now costs €15,000 per year, which is an increase of almost 40% in the last 10 years. The first year of the child’s life and teen years have been found to be the most expensive, with the cost of pocket money increasing by 86% since 2015 to an average of €1,196 per year. Charlie Weston, Personal Finance Editor with the Irish Independent...

US President Donald Trump has claimed it would be "stupid" not to accept the gift of a free Qatari plane, described as a "palace in the sky", to replace Air Force One. There has been much criticism of Trump's plan to accept the gift, even amongst his MAGA supporters. Cal Thomas and Marion McKeone join The Last Word to discuss this and more of the latest news from the US. Catch the full chat by pre...

Jacqueline Connolly, author of Deadly Silence, joins The Last Word to talk about her quest for justice for her sister Clodagh Hawe and her three nephews who were murdered by Alan Hawe in 2016. She explained why she wants the review into the investigation of their murders to be published. Listen back to the full conversation by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

The Vintners Federation of Ireland is calling on the government to introduce a 40% tax rebate in excise on pints of draught beer sold in pubs. The association said the move would be helpful for rural pubs who are struggling with increasing costs. Pat Crotty, Chief Executive of the Vintners Federation of Ireland and Sheila Gilheany, Chief Executive of Alcohol Action Ireland, spoke to Matt about thi...

The future of the provincial football finals has been a source of debate in recent years due to Dublin’s dominance in Leinster and Kerry’s in Munster. But after Donegal won back-to-back Ulster titles and Louth were crowned Leinster champions for the first time in 68 years, along with a hugely entertaining Connacht final between Mayo and Galway last weekend, have the new rules breathed life into th...

Earlier this year, Samantha Cookes was sentenced to three years in prison for multiple counts of theft and deception. She was found to have posed under numerous fake identities and convinced people she was a victim of discrimination due to her diagnosis of Huntington’s disease. ‘Bad Nanny’, a new two-part documentary on RTÉ One, hears from victims who were conned by Cookes across Ireland and the U...

Sarah Slattery from the travelexpert.ie joins The Last Word to chat all about her recent trip to Utah in the United States. Listen back by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Leo XIV becomes the first North American pope; RTÉ demands 'discussion' on Israel's participation in the Eurovision Song Contest; and Tánaiste Simon Harris calls for a social media ban for children under the age of 16. Joe O’Shea, editor of Cork Beo, and Jennifer Horgan, Irish Examiner Columnist and secondary school teacher, join The Last Word to discuss the week's trending stories. Catch the full...