Matt Cooper (Irish journalist) facts for kids

Matt Cooper is an Irish journalist, author, and broadcaster. He was born on July 21, 1966. He is well-known for hosting the news show The Last Word on Today FM.

Matt Cooper has also worked as an editor for a newspaper called the Sunday Tribune. He was also the business editor for the Irish Independent. Besides radio, he has worked on television shows too.

Early Life and Education

Matt Cooper was born in Cork, Ireland, in 1966. He went to school at North Monastery. Later, he studied at University College Cork.

When he was younger, Matt loved sports. He played rugby for a team called Sunday's Well. He even led their under-20s team as captain. He also enjoyed GAA sports. He played Gaelic football and hurling for the Bishopstown GAA club.

Career Highlights

Matt Cooper has had a long and successful career in media. He is represented by Noel Kelly of NK Management.

Journalism Career

Matt Cooper became the editor of the Sunday Tribune newspaper in September 1996. He was also the business editor for the Irish Independent. At 30 years old, he was the youngest person in Ireland to become an editor of a national newspaper.

He won several awards for his journalism. He was named Business Journalist of the Year in 1992 and 1999. He also won National Journalist of the Year in 1993 and 2001. Matt Cooper is a graduate of Dublin City University.

The Last Word Radio Show

Matt Cooper hosts The Last Word on Today FM. This news review show airs every weekday afternoon. In 2008, he helped promote Today FM's move to a new location. He recreated the famous picture from Beatles' Abbey Road album cover.

Matt Cooper also writes columns for newspapers. He writes a weekly column for the Irish Examiner. He also writes for the Irish edition of The Sunday Times newspaper.

Television Work

Matt Cooper has hosted many live sports events on television. He often presented UEFA Champions League football matches on TV3. He also hosted live rugby and GAA matches on the same channel.

In July 2016, he narrated a documentary for RTE called Heroes Of The Somme. This show marked 100 years since the Battle of the Somme. It told the stories of men who won The Victoria Cross fighting in that battle. From 2017 to 2021, Matt Cooper co-hosted The Tonight Show on Virgin Media One. He hosted it with Ivan Yates.

Books Written by Matt Cooper

Matt Cooper is also an author. He has written several books. His book, Who Really Runs Ireland, was published in 2009. It looked at the relationships between Irish business people and politicians.

• Who Really Runs Ireland? (2010)
• How Ireland Really Went Bust (2011)

In 2015, he published a biography about Tony O'Reilly. The book was called The Maximalist: The Rise and Fall of Tony O’Reilly. It was published by Gill and Macmillan.

Visit to North Korea

In January 2014, Matt Cooper went on a secret trip to North Korea. He traveled with former basketball star Dennis Rodman. They went for a big birthday basketball game for Kim Jong-un. Matt's visit became public when he was seen with Rodman on Sky News at an airport.

Today FM confirmed that Matt Cooper was in North Korea. They also said he would meet Kim Jong-un. A documentary was made about Rodman's trip and the basketball game. It was called Dennis Rodman's Big Bang in Pyongyang. The film was released in July 2015 and featured Matt Cooper's narration. He also appeared a lot in the film.

Personal Life

Matt Cooper is married to Aileen Hickey. She is also from County Cork. They got married in 1995. They have five children together: three daughters and two sons.