The Last Word with Matt Cooper

As Ireland gets closer to hosting the EU presidency, concerns remain about the country's ability to provide adequate national security for such a high profile event.Dr Edward Burke, assistant professor of the history of war at UCD, joins The Last Word to discuss the security gaps that are leaving Ireland open to bad actors.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Sommelier Brigid O'Hora joins The Last Word to give her top wine recommendations for summer.Brigid's choices include a Spanish Cava rosé, a classic Muscadet and even a summer appropriate red from an Irish winemaker in northern Spain.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!Full list of the wines recommended by Brigid:Mistinguett Cava Rosé, Penedès, Spain RRP €24Muscadet Le Grand Fief, Loire Valley, France RRP €16Aussuli Grillo, Sicily, Italy €17–19Manon Côtes de Provence Rosé, Provence, France €19Diga, Tom Gallagher, Montsant, Spain €22- €26

The Government today agreed the first steps to redevelop the iconic General Post Office (GPO) building on Dublin's O'Connell Street.Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers joins The Last Word to discuss how the government plans to utilise the landmark building and how those plans fit into the wider development of the capital.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Passengers can travel to 48 destinations from Cork Airport this summer including brand new routes to Nice and Santiago de Compostela.Sarah Slattery from thetravelexpert.ie joins The Last Word to run through some great holidays you can take if you want to fly out of Cork.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

This week, Cadbury confirmed that its chocolate bars are in fact getting smaller but the company denies that it is trying to fool customers.As the World Cup gets in full swing, many viewers have remarked on the number of ads starring ex-footballer turned professional brand ambassador David Beckham.And, Jimmy Fallon has sparked outrage from Irish fans over his interview with Conor McGregor.Elaine Burke and Lorcan Nyhan join The Last Word to discuss the week’s trending stories. Catch the full chat by pressing the ‘Play’ button on this page!

Fraudster Samantha Cookes spent more than a decade conning people in both Ireland and Britain.A new book looks at how Cookes integrated herself into the lives of vulnerable families and posed as a nanny, a therapist and an author under various identities.Alan Bradley, author of ‘Unmasking Samantha Cookes: The Many Lives of a Serial Fraudster’, joins Daniel McConnell on The Last Word.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the piece.

New data from the Environmental Protection Agency has shown that there were no major improvements in Ireland’s water quality in 2025.The EPA has said that the condition of Ireland’s rivers have “dropped significantly” in recent years and that high nutrient levels are the biggest challenge to raising standards.Sadhbh O’Neill, Climate and Environmental Researcher and Irish Times Contributor, speaks to Matt on The Last Word's environment slot.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the chat.

Iarla Ó Lionáird is the latest inductee into the Culture Club. He talks to Danny McConnell about his life in music and the upcoming performance at this year's Galway International Arts Festival.Iarla also discusses the music, film, movies, and books that have influences his life.

John Caddell and Dee Reddy join The Last Word to discuss the latest music news and also to rank the best world cup anthems.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

The draw for Round 3 of the All-Ireland Gaelic football championship has been made with some blockbuster ties to be played across the 20th and 21st of June.Kerry face Armagh in Killarney on Saturday, while Donegal head to Croke Park on Sunday to play Dublin.Meanwhile, Mayo host Meath on Saturday evening in MacHale Park before the round wraps up in Clones with Monaghan vs Westmeath.Colm Keys, GAA Correspondent with the Irish Independent and Off The Ball’s Will O’Callaghan join Matt on The Last Word.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the chat.

Today FM reporter Emily Keegan joins The Last Word to outline what was heard on the fourth day of the trial of Riad Bouchaker who is accused of the attempted murder of three children on Dublin's Parnell Square in November 2023. Bouchaker has pleaded not guilty to eight charges including assaulting two other children, a passerby and a crèche worker. He also denies being in possession of a knife.Hear the full report by pressing the 'Play' button on this page.