The Last Word with Matt Cooper

On Friday, the country will go to the polls to vote for the 10th president of Ireland. Independent candidate Catherine Connolly joined Matt in studio for an in-depth interview on Monday's The Last Word. Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the piece.

From the Ardoyne to two stints in the Áras, Mary McAleese's presidency was shaped by her Northern upbringing and driven by a mission to unite communities. But her efforts to build bridges were often met with anger from some political and religious quarters, while Ireland itself went from the boom-time Celtic Tiger riches to an era of financial bail-outs and austerity. In this episode of Think You Know...The Presidents?, Lise Hand and Flor Mac Carthy are joined once again by Matt Cooper to look at our eighth president, her highs and lows and some of the more memorable events during her term, including Queen Elizabeth II's state visit and those cúpla focail that made all the difference.

This National Brain Tumour Awareness Week, Brain Tumour Ireland is highlighting the symptoms of brain tumours in children and teenagers. Tumours of the brain and central nervous system are the most common childhood cancer, alongside leukaemia, but the symptoms can often be confused for other more common illnesses. Dr Sarah Curry, consultant neuro-oncologist at CHI Crumlin, and Cliona Leamy, mum to eight-year-old Izzy who was diagnosed with a brain tumour at the age of two, joined The Last Word to discuss the signs that can arise and the challenges some face in getting a diagnosis. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

From weekend hotel stays in Dublin, to Christmas markets in Belfast, Sarah Slattery from thetravelexpert.ie, outlined the best Winter travel offers for families and couples looking for an at home break. To catch the full conversation, press the 'play' button on this page.

Irish swimmer Shane Ryan caused controversy this week when he announced he will be joining the Enhanced Games, which will get underway in May 2026. Participating athletes - of which there are 11 so far - will be permitted to take performance-enhancing drugs throughout the Games. The decision has been widely criticised by sporting bodies around the world. Kieran Cunningham, Chief Sports Writer with the Irish Daily Star, explained the situation on The Last Word. Hit the 'Play' button on this page to hear the piece.

Now that he has got the Gaza deal he wanted, has US President Donald Trump's attention refocused on Ukraine? Why has an Irish act never won the Mercury Prize? Do you know a weather enthusiast who could help Met Éireann with a major new project? Marion McKeone and Dave Hanratty joined The Last Word to discuss the week's trending stories. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

What does a reluctant earl do when he inherits a 1,600-acre estate in Co Meath? Randal Plunkett, the 21st Earl of Dunsany, joined The Last Word to discuss how he transformed his ancestral home into Ireland's biggest private rewilding project. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

A new report by advocacy group Transport and Environment has found that plug-in hybrid electric vehicles emit just 19% less Co2 than petrol and diesel cars, a much lower figure than the originally projected 75%. Environmental commentator John Gibbons spoke to Matt on Thursday’s The Last Word. Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the chat.

Nicola Tallant, Investigations Editor with the Sunday World and host of the Crime World podcast, spoke to Matt about the release from Limerick Prison of former Sinn Fein councillor Jonathan Dowdall who turned state witness in the Regency murder case. Having served his sentence for torture and false imprisonment of a man and for his part in the shooting of David Byrne, it is expected that Jonathan Dowdall will be relocated abroad and enter the witness protection programme. To catch the full conversation, press the 'play' button on this page.

In this episode of Think You Know...The Presidents?, presenters Lise Hand and Flor Mac Carthy get to grips with their own 'girl crush' as they recall Robinson's rocky road to the Áras, when she encountered sexism and misogyny along the campaign trail. Mary Robinson didn't just win the presidency in 1990, she blew the dusty doors off Áras an Uachtaráin. That win was a seismic day for Ireland - we had our first woman president, and Ireland was on the cusp of great change, culturally, socially and economically. Mná na hÉireann finally had a voice.

Former State Pathologist Marie Cassidy spoke to Matt about her second novel, Deadly Evidence, a thriller following the investigative work of a fictional state pathology who must help solve the murder of garda detective. Marie also discussed her favourite music, gigs, books, film, TV and more. To catch the full conversation, press the 'play' button on this page.

Andrew Porter is best known for playing as a loosehead prop for Leinster, Ireland and the British & Irish Lions. He has released his autobiography “Heart on My Sleeve: My Story of Struggle and Strength” in which he details how his mother’s death when he was 12 years old impacted his mental health, his subsequent eating disorder and how fatherhood has changed his perspective in every aspect of his life. He spoke to Matt on Wednesday’s The Last Word. Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear their chat.

Have you ever considered how the clothes you wear were made? Would you choose more sustainable options if they were clearly labelled? Dr Shane Timmons joined The Last Word to discuss new research conducted by the ESRI's Behavioural Unit which found that 'eco labels', which highlight an item of clothing's environmental impact, lead shoppers to make more sustainable choices. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Cal Thomas, US nationally syndicated columnist and Marion McKeone discussed Donald Trump's 24 hour diplomatic mission to the Middle East and his speech in the Israeli Knesset. They also looked ahead to Friday's Washington meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. To catch the full conversation, press the 'play' button on this page.

At the beginning of October, Taylor Swift released her 12th studio album 'The Life Of A Showgirl'. Swift reunited with producer Max Martin for this album, who worked alongside her on the hugely successful Red, 1989 and Reputation records. However, her latest album hasn't been as universally lauded has her previous work. Having recently finished her Era's Tour, is Swift suffering from creative fatigue? John Caddell & Dee Reddy spoke to Matt on Tuesday's The Last Word. Hit the 'Play' button on this page to hear the piece.

Fergus Farrell, former rugby player and author of Rebuilding A Man, spoke to Matt about a freak accident that caused a spinal injury and his long, challenging road back to recovery. To catch the full conversation, press the 'play' button on this page.

Did you know that Hillery was forced to deal with rumours of his extramarital affair at a time when the Pope was visiting Ireland? Or that he was embroiled in political controversy when senior members of Fianna Fáil made calls to Áras an Uachtaráin to try and persuade the president not to dissolve the Dáil? In this episode of Think You Know...The Presidents?, Lise Hand and Flor Mac Carthy find the real scandals behind what was considered a largely uneventful presidency.

On Monday, Matt met Ireland head coach Andy Farrell, as he launched his new autobiography 'The Only Way I Know'. Farrell spoke openly about his working class upbringing in Wigan, the characteristics required to lead a professional team and his experience of becoming a father to his son Owen when he himself was just a teenager. Hit the 'Play' button on this page to hear the chat.

Barry Kenny from Irish Rail outlined the changes to rail timetables and travel times, that will increase the commuter belt around Dublin. To catch the full conversation, press the play button on this page.

This week on The Week Trending Matt is joined by Broadcaster and Author Aoife Barry and Head of Training at Communications Clinic Lorcan Nyhan to discuss the week's biggest trending stories. This week they discuss Presidential candidate Heather Humphreys' criticism of Joe Brolly's ‘very misogynistic’ podcast comments, Nigel Farage's attack on football pundit Gary Neville and Hollywood's first completely AI actor Tilly Norwood Hit Play on this page to listen now