The Last Word with Matt Cooper

US President elect Donald Trump says he wants to make Greenland a part of the United States, threatening tariffs and refusing to rule out military action. But why does Trump want the island, which is territory of Denmark, and does he have a chance of getting it? Tom Carstensen, journalist in Copenhagen, and Larry Donnelly, law lecturer at University of Galway and political columnist with The Journ...

If you’re looking to give yourself a financial boost in the new year, it may be worth preparing a tax return. Charlie Weston, Personal Finance Editor with The Irish Independent, explained how it can be done on Wednesday’s personal finance slot. Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation.

Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has announced significant changes to its content moderation policies in the US which include replacing fact checking with a community notes system, similar to the one adopted by Elon Musk on X. Elaine Burke, host of the For Tech's Sake podcast, joins The Last Word to talk about the significant move which is seen as a further effort by Meta CEO Ma...

US President elect Donald Trump has refused to rule out using military force to take over Greenland. Trump said the US needs to purchase the Danish territory for "national security purposes". Cal Thomas, nationally syndicated US columnist, and Marion McKeone, US correspondent with the Business Post, join The Last Word to discuss this and more of the latest news from the United States. Catch the fu...

Drivers in Dublin were delayed by an average of 81 hours in 2024 due to congestion in the city, according to a survey conducted by data company Inrix. Brian Caulfield, Professor in Transportation at the Department of Civil Engineering at TCD, spoke to Matt on The Last Word about the findings. Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the chat.

Manchester United came from behind to earn a 2-2 draw against Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday. Was this the first sign of significant progress of Amorm’s tenure at United, and what does the result mean for Liverpool’s title hopes? Miguel Delaney, Chief Football Writer with The Independent and Off The Ball’s Will O’Callaghan joined Matt on Monday’s The Last Word to discuss the weekend’s Premier Leag...

Corporation tax increased to €39bn last year, with the apple tax contributing to €11bn of that figure. The Department of Finance published the final exchequer returns on Monday, which saw an increase of €15.2bn on 2023. Ian Guider, Columnist with the Business Post, joined Matt for The Last Word on Business to discuss the findings. Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation.

Nick Ferrari, presenter of Nick Ferrari at Breakfast on LBC, outlined the response from UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer to Elon Musk's attacks on Safeguarding Minister Jess Philips. Nick also explained the war of words that has broken out between Reform UK leader Nigel Farage and Elon Musk. To catch the full conversation, press the 'play' button on this page.

Russell Alford, food critic for The Sunday Times and one half of the GastroGays, joins The Last Word to discuss another of his favourite foodie travel destinations. This time he has chosen Lisbon in Portugal, a hugely popular destination for Irish tourists. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.

Former UK deputy prime minister Nick Clegg is to step down from his role at Meta. He is due to be replaced by former Republican White House deputy chief of staff Joel Kaplan, who served under George W Bush from 2006-2009. Ian Guider joined Will O’Callaghan for Friday’s business slot. Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the conversation.

Helen Vaughan, Psychotherapist with Maynooth Counselling & The Coast Counselling in Malahide, spoke to Will O'Callaghan about the importance of self care and she outlined 10 ways to be kinder to yourself in 2025. To listen to the conversation, press the 'play' button on this page.

Helen Vaughan, Psychotherapist with Maynooth Counselling & The Coast Counselling in Malahide, outlines eight strategies to help to de-stress in 2025. To listen to the full conversation, press the 'play' button on this page.

Have you noticed that your phone’s performance has worsened recently, or are you struggling to free up some space in its memory? Tech Journalist Andy O’Donoghue joined Will O’Callaghan on The Last Word to explain the most effective methods of clearing space on your devices. Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear their chat.

Matt was joined by Will O'Callaghan from Off The Ball and Gavin Cooney from The42.ie as they looked back on all the highlights from the soccer year. To catch the full conversation, press the 'play' button on this page.

John Caddell and Dee Reddy join The Last Word to look back on the last year in music and give their picks for the best music of 2024. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

The Last Word remembers some of the famous people who passed away in the last year. Journalist and broadcaster Tommie Gorman Jim Beard, keyboardist with Steely Dan John Savident, who played Fred from Coronation street Tito Jackson from the Jackson 5 Actor James Earl Jones Musician and producer Quincy Jones Former Minister and TD Mary O’Rourke Singer Marlena Shaw Actor Dame Maggie Smith Paul Di’Ann...

Tabitha Monahan, political reporter with the Independent, journalist Lise Hand, Dave Hanratty, host of the No Encore podcast, and Eoghan Tomás McDermott, MD of the Communications Clinic, all join The Last Word to look back on the biggest news stories of 2024. Stories include: • Donald Trump's return to the White House • General Election 2024 • Nikita Hand’s civil rape case against Conor McGregor •...

Roe McDermott and Brian Lloyd join The Last Word to chat about the best movies released in the last year. There's been huge blockbusters like Dune Part Two and hits from Irish stars like Cillian Murphy, Paul Mescal and Kneecap. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Ian Guider, columnist with the Business Post, joined Matt to discuss the biggest business stories that made the headlines throughout 2024. Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear their chat.

Judith Boyle, beverages lecturer in TU Dublin, joins The Last Word to discuss her top choices for whiskeys, gins, vodka and even poitín. Perfect for a last minute gift or as something special to sip on Christmas Day. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

From STEM gifts for curious minds to headphones and beer dispensers, Andy O'Donoghue has a comprehensive list of last minute tech gifts to suit everyone To listen to the conversation, press the 'play' button on this page.

Dave Fanning was the latest inductee into The Last Word’s Culture Club on Wednesday. Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear his choices.

RIP.ie has announced it will be charging funeral directors €100 to post a death notice from January. Clare Ann Irwin of Irwin Funeral Directors in Galway City joins The Last Word to discuss the change to one of Ireland's most popular websites. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

The cost of the average Christmas dinner is on the rise, according to new figures from Kantar. Meanwhile, Chill Insurance is urging homeowners to keep their homes secure due to the fact that the Christmas period is a peak time for burglaries. Charlie Weston joined Will O’Callaghan for Wednesday’s Personal Finance slot. Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the chat.

Coimisiún na Meán is to join a European Commission election integrity investigation into video-sharing platform TikTok. Andy O'Donoghue, tech journalist, joins The Last Word to discuss what this could mean for the social media company which is also facing an outright ban in the US. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.