The Last Word with Matt Cooper

As US-Israel strikes on Iran continue, President Donald Trump's war aims remain unclear as his administration officials have given conflicting reasons for the US operation.Edward Burke, assistant professor in the History of War since 1945 at UCD, Cal Thomas, syndicated columnist, and journalist Marion McKeone join The Last Word to discuss this and more of the latest news from the United States.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

The National Transport Authority's Walking and Cycling Index for 2025 has found that over 600k car journeys in Ireland's five largest cities are avoided every day, leading to a reduction of 120,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions annually.Feljin Jose, Green Party Councillor and Maeve O’Connell, Fine Gael TD, speak to Matt on The Last Word.Hit the 'Play' button on this page to hear the chat.

On Saturday, GAA Congress was temporarily adjourned after protestors made their way into the event in Croke Park.Protestors were marching against the GAA's sponsorship deal with Allianz for the national football & hurling league, which runs until 2030.GAA President Jarlath Burns said the protests were “unacceptable” and that “a line had been crossed”.Colm Keys, GAA Correspondent with the Irish Independent, speaks to Matt on The Last Word.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the piece.

The escalating conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran has caused widespread disruption to air travel.Eoghan Corry, travel journalist, and Tom Randles, president of the Irish Travel Agents Association, join The Last Word to discuss what this means for passengers flying to or through the region and the potential long term impacts of this latest conflict on global aviation.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page?

The Irish Government is advising the 22,000 or more Irish citizens in the Gulf region to shelter in place.Matt talks to Catriona Lougran, communications director with CTG in Dubai and John Hayes, an Irish journalist and presenter on Al Arabiya English Channel in Dubai, about the air strikes launched over the region at the weekend, and what they are expecting over the coming days.To catch the full conversation, press the 'play' button on this page.

Lorcan Nyhan, Head of Training at the Communications Clinic and journalist Lise Hand join Matt on The Last Word for The Week Trending.Among the topics up for discussion were whether the national anthem should be taught in schools, the fallout from the controversy at this year’s BAFTA Awards and Thomas Gould’s accent making headlines in Jamaica.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the chat.

This week, Minister for Local Government James Browne suggested that the OPW should have the option to buy homes at risk of repeated flooding and demolish them to develop flood areas, rather than spending money to build flood defences.John Gibbons speaks to Matt on The Last Word about Minister Browne’s comments.Hit the ‘Play’ button on this page to hear the piece.

Jennifer Bray, Political Editor Of The Sunday Times, talks to Matt about her debut novel, The Lies Between Us.Centering on the warring Brown sisters, the book deals with the fall out from the disappearance of Susannah Brown. Jennifer also talks about a life-altering attack that happened to her as a young journalist at the beginning of her career. To catch the full conversation, press the 'play' button on this page.

Are you a sports fanatic or a movie buff? Andy O'Donoghue joins The Last Word to run through some of the best tech available to create your own home cinema.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

Actor, writer, and director Andrew McCarthy is the latest inductee into The Last Word's Culture Club, with Bob Dylan, John Williams and The Brady Bunch among some of his biggest influences.Andrew is currently starring in The Crucible, which runs in the Gaiety Theatre until March 21st.Hit the 'Play' button on this page to hear his picks.