The Last Word with Matt Cooper

The tourism industry has raised concerns over the government’s plans to introduce a so-called ‘accommodation levy’ on hotels and short terms lettings in Dublin. Darragh Moriarty, Labour Councillor in Dublin City Council and Paul Gallagher, Chief Executive of the Irish Hotels Federation, spoke to Matt about the idea. Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation.

Manchester United now sit in 15th place after losing 1-0 to Tottenham Hotspur yesterday, in what Miguel Delaney of the Independent described as the worst Premier League match he attended all season. Meanwhile, after dropping points against Everton in the Merseyside derby last week, Liverpool got back to winning ways on Sunday when they beat Wolves 2-1 and stayed 7 points clear of Arsenal at the to...

If time and budgets are limited, Sarah Slattery, thetravelexpert.ie , suggests affordable day trips to European cities, from Paris, to Bergamo, to Amsterdam. To catch the full conversation, press the ‘play’ button on this page.

A 34-year-old man has died after he was stabbed in Dublin city centre in the early hours of Saturday morning. Meanwhile, new figures released by An Garda Síochána shows that the number of knives that were seized in Ireland is up by 58% between 2015 and 2024. So, what’s being done to tackle the issue of knife crime in Ireland? Matt spoke to criminologist Trina O’Connor and Richard Guiney, Chief Exe...

Donald Trump bans paper straws in Federal Buildings, Sinn Féin's Mary Lou McDonald accuses Taoiseach Micheál Martin of calling her a liar and tourists heading to the Algarve this summer could be fined for walking around in swimwear. Journalist Lise Hand and Lorcan Nyhan, head of training at the Communications Clinic, join The Last Word to discuss the week's trending stories. Catch the full chat by...

Paul Colgan, financial journalist, and Kate English, chief economist with Deloitte Ireland, discuss Trump’s latest announcement on ‘reciprocal’ tariffs for the EU and what that means for industries in Ireland. Shane O’Donoghue, editor, CompleteCar.ie, considers how tariffs might impact the car market and American imports.

‘Warm and funny’, Roe McDermott, movies editor with Hot Press, recommended the latest in the Bridget Jones series – Mad About The Boy. To catch the full conversation, press the play button on this page.

European powers have said that there can be no negotiation about the war in Ukraine without Ukraine and Europe at the table. It comes as US President Donald Trump said he had spoken to Russian President Vladimir Putin about bringing an end to the war. Shona Murray, Europe correspondent with Euronews, Larry Donnelly, law lecturer at University of Galway, and Edward Burke, lecturer in War Studies at...

The government is set to make the a liquefied natural gas facility a priority, with an estimated cost of €500m over ten years. It has received criticism from climate campaigners who have fought against the plan. Environmental commentator John Gibbons joined Matt for Thursday’s environment slot. Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation.

On The Last Word, Andy O'Donoghue has the latest in home fitness equipment from stationary bikes to bouncing boots. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Former member of Spandau Ballet Gary Kemp was the latest inductee into The Last Word’s Culture Club this week. Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear all his choices!

Daniel McConnell, Editor with the Business Post, had the details of the 40 Government representatives who are travelling abroad for St Patrick’s Day celebrations. Neale Richmond, Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Ruth Coppinger, TD, People Before Profit-Solidarity debated the merits of nine senior Government members travelling to the US to represent Ireland. They also cons...

The cost of flowers, chocolates and dining out have all increased since Valentine’s Day last year, according to recent analysis. Meanwhile, the average person is now spending €3,600 on engagement rings, with over half of customers thinking that it’s not something they’d consider insuring. Charlie Weston, Personal Finance Editor at the Irish Independent, joined Matt for Wednesday’s personal finance...

On Sunday night, Donald Trump was the first sitting US President to attend a Super Bowl but reportedly left his seat at half time during Kendrick Lamar’s performance. Samuel L Jackson made fleeting appearances as Uncle Sam, hinting at political unrest and attempted to “silence” Lamar throughout the show. Lamar also grabbed the headlines when he referenced his feud with fellow rapper Drake. Dee Red...

A new survey has found that 82% of young children are allowed to use smart devices unsupervised in their bedrooms and almost half believe they spend too much time online. Alex Cooney, chief executive of CyberSafeKids, joins The Last Word to discuss these findings and how children's uncontrolled access to devices can put them at risk. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this p...

The Gaza ceasefire is under threat after US President Donald Trump said that “all hell is going to break out” if Israeli hostages are not released by noon on Saturday. Meanwhile, President Trump has signed an order to bring back plastic straws, claiming that paper ones “explode”. Cal Thomas and Marion McKeone joined Matt for The Last Word’s weekly US slot. Hit the 'Play' button on this page to hea...

Ireland recorded their second bonus point win of this year’s Guinness Six Nations when they defeated Scotland at Murrayfield on Sunday. France also suffered a shock defeat to England on Saturday, meaning Ireland are the only side that can still win the Grand Slam. Matt spoke to Alan Quinlan & Will O’Callaghan about the weekend’s results. Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the chat.

US President Donald Trump has vowed to impose 25% tariffs on imports of steel and aluminium products coming to the US. On Monday afternoon, the European Commission said it sees “no justification” for the decision and that it will react “to protect the interests of European businesses, workers and consumers”. Shona Murray, Europe Correspondent with Euronews joined Matt to explain what this means fo...

Is a visit to Nashville, Memphis or the Grand Canyon on your bucket list? With 27 routes from Ireland to the US available, Sarah Slattery, thetravelexpert.ie, had a rundown of the best road trips to take advantage of the connectivity. To listen to the full conversation, press the 'play' button on this page.

Samantha Mumba has questioned the credentials of members of RTE’s judging panel following The Late Late Show’s Eurosong special on Friday night. Mumba finished second with her song “My Way”, with Norwegian singer EMMY winning the contest after performing “Laika Party”. Joe O’Shea and Elaine Burke were back with Matt for Monday’s TV & Streaming slot on The Last Word. Hit the ‘Play’ button on th...

Peter O'Mahony and Robbie Henshaw have been added to the Irish side that will take on Scotland in round two of the Guinness Six Nations. Liam Toland and Matt Williams join The Last Word to discuss what to expect as Ireland head to Murrayfield this Sunday. Catch all the analysis by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Scientists crack the perfect boiled egg, thousands still without power two weeks after Storm Éowyn and Donald Trump wants to turn Gaza into the 'Riviera of the Middle East'. Eoghan Tomas McDermott, managing director at the Communications Clinic, and Laura Byrne, voices editor and podcast producer with The Journal, join The Last Word to discuss the week's trending stories. Catch the full chat by pr...

New lower speed limits come into effect this week and motorists will see major reductions on many rural and urban roads. Conor Faughnan, transport commentator and chief executive of the RIAC, joins The Last Word to discuss the new speed limits and Ireland's road safety issues. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Andy O’Donoghue has a run down of all the latest fitness technology from free Apps, to smart watches. To listen to the full conversation, press the ‘play’ button on this page.

The family of Joe Drennan have expressed their anger at the prison sentence of the man who killed him in a hit and run in 2023. Kieran Fogarty from Co. Limerick received a six-and-a-half-year sentence for dangerous driving causing death & an eight-year sentence for a drive-by shooting earlier that year. Both sentences will run concurrently & have been backdated to October 2023. On Thursday...