The Last Word with Matt Cooper

Ahead of bringing his Past & Present Tour to Dublin's Fairview Park & the SSE Arena in Belfast, David Gray joins Daniel McConnell on for The Last Word's Culture Club. Hit the 'Play' button on this page to hear his choices.

Bertie Ahern has said he has 'no problem' with people from Africa or the Congo as he rolls back on comments he made during a recent canvas in Dublin Central. In a video circulating on social media, the former Taoiseach says, in a conversation on a doorstep, that he has concerns about the level of immigration and that Ireland "can't be taking in people" coming from "the Congo". Louise Burne, political correspondent with the Irish Examiner, and Gary Murphy, professor of politics at the School of Law and Government in DCU, join The Last Word to discuss Ahern's comments and to look at the lay of the land in the upcoming bye-elections in Dublin Central and Galway West. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Author Seamas O'Reilly talks to Matt about his debut novel, Prestige Drama. Set in Derry, it tells the story of a Hollywood star coming to town to research a role for a Troubles based TV show and what happens when she mysteriously disappears. Seamas also discusses the literature of Northern Ireland and the role writers play in getting to a collective truth. To listen to the full conversation, press the 'play' button on this page.

US President Donald Trump will this week make a state visit to China with the Strait of Hormuz, tariffs and Taiwan all likely to be on the agenda during talks with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping. Cal Thomas and Marion McKeone join The Last Word to discuss Trump's visit to China and more of the latest news from the United States. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

The Vintners’ Federation of Ireland has warned that rural pubs in Ireland are facing an “existential threat” due to rising costs, citing 2,500 closures since 2005. The organisation is calling on the government to provide tax credits in order to protect smaller pubs around the country. Pat Crotty, Chief Executive of the VFI, speaks to Matt on The Last Word. Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the piece.

Elaine Burke and Kate Henshaw join Matt to talk about the biggest tv news and releases of the week. They chat about The Bear, Amandaland and more Hit Play on this page to listen now

New research by RedClick has found that just 3% of people in Ireland cycle every day and highlights the barriers that cyclists face on Irish roads. Should more be done to make cycling in Ireland more accessible, or is there too much investment in cycling infrastructure considering the low numbers presented in the study? Conor Faughnan, Motoring Expert at Carzone.ie and Ciaran Cannon, CEO of Cycling Ireland speak to Matt on The Last Word. Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the piece.

There are more than 30 council-owned properties currently lying in states of dereliction. Joining Matt to discuss what can be done to bring these properties back in to use is Founder & Director of Anois, Jude Sherry and Sinn Fein Councillor and Member of the Dublin City Council Housing Committee Daithí Doolan Hit Play on this page to listen now

Sarah Slattery from thetravelexpert.ie joins The Last Word to chat about some great lesser known destinations in Europe's hotspots. Sarah's recommendations: Asturias, Northern Spain Puglia & Matera, Italy Chania, Crete Tavira, Portugal Île de Ré, France Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Some of the stories dominating the news this week included the cruise ship hantavirus outbreak, the 100th birthday of legendary British environmentalist David Attenborough, and Michael O'Leary's latest call to ban airport pints. Deirdre O’Shaughnessy, Irish Examiner editor and podcast host, and Jennifer Horgan, teacher and columnist, join The Last Word to discuss these and more of the week's trending stories. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Brian Lloyd joins The Last Word to review the week's biggest movie releases, 'Mortal Kombat II' and 'The Sheep Detectives'. He also discusses the latest trailer for Christopher Nolan's 'The Odyssey' which has sparked debate over the use of American accents and contemporary language by the stars in the film. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Broadcaster & natural historian David Attenborough will celebrate his 100th birthday this week, and on Thursday’s environment slot, John Gibbons paid tribute to his career. Matt also talks to John about Dublin City Council’s decision to ban bin bags on a further 110 city-centre streets. Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the chat.

Andy O'Donoghue runs through the latest wellness tech, that pivot away from fitness towards deep rest and relaxation. From smart lamps, fitness rings, sleep masks and temperature regulators, Andy has you covered! To catch, the full conversation, press the 'play' button on this page.

Singer songwriter Jess Kav is the latest guest on The Culture Club. She joins The Last Word to chat about her favourite music, movies, TV and more. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Charlie Weston, Personal Finance Editor of The Irish Independent, outlines the latest Eurostat survey of electricity prices across Europe. Charlie also explains the hidden insurance costs of adding a modular home to your property. To listen to the full conversation, press the 'play' button on this page.

Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary has said that a ban on serving alcohol in the early hours of the morning should be implemented in airports in order to reduce disruptive behaviour from passengers onboard flights. Bars in Irish and UK airports do not have to follow the same opening hours restrictions that other outlets do. Ali Dunworth, author of “A Compendium of Irish Pints: The Culture, Customs and Craic” speaks to Matt on The Last Word. Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the piece.

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has insisted that the ceasefire with Iran is not over despite renewed attacks by the Iranians. Marion McKeone and Larry Donnelly join The Last Word to discuss this and more of the latest news from the US. Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Earlier this week, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said that Ireland should explore the idea of using nuclear power in order to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels. Fianna Fáil TD James O'Connor has introduced a bill to reverse the ban and it is due to be debated in the Dáil in the coming months. Dr. Paul Deane, senior lecturer in Clean Energy Futures at UCC and Senator Malcolm Noonan of the Green Party speak to Matt on The Last Word about this. Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the piece.

This week on The Week Trending TodayFm News Reporter Emily Keegan and head of training at the Communications Clinic Lorcan Nyhan join Matt to discuss the news of the week. They discuss a decline in marriages, Ireland's growing tipping culture and more Hit Play on this page to listen now

As the latest series of The Late Late Show comes to an end, rumours of Patrick Kielty’s exit have swirled throughout the week. If he did step aside, could RTE use this time as a chance to freshen the show up, and who would be the best candidate to take over as host? Brenda Power, columnist with the Irish Daily Mail and Elaine Burke, The Last Word's TV & Streaming contributor & host of the For Tech’s Sake podcast speak to Matt on The Last Word. Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the discussion.