Across:
8 A (-A-) new (-N-) bill (-AD-) in California (C-A) (CANADA) refers to state over the American border (CANADA),
9 They provide cover (INSURERS) for sunrise (sunrise = INSU-ERS) bursting (= anagram indicator) over river (-R-) (INSURERS),
10 Mistake (SLIP) part of the sanctimonious lip-service (part of the ‘sanctimonious lip-service’ = SLIP),
11 Driving force (MOTOR-) for revolution (-CYCLE) (MOTORCYCLE) from On the Road (MOTORCYCLE),
12 Oliver (URCHIN in Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist) Gavroche wandering around Paris? (Gavroche = URCHIN in Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables),
14 They’re warming to those hearing things (EARMUFFS) from listening devices (EAR-S) about 1,000 (-M-) paramilitaries (Ulster Freedom Fighters = -UFF-) (EARMUFFS),
15 Most of 22 across (most of “insurances” = INSURANCE) and 26 across (“policy” = POLICY) (INSURANCE POLICY) provides security for The House (INSURANCE POLICY),
18 She clued (she clued = SCHEDULE) puzzle (= anagram indicator) to plan (SCHEDULE),
20 Grounds (ESTATE) for English (E-) to contact Twitter (-STATE) (ESTATE),
22 Protections (INSURANCES) for unorthodox (= anagram indicator) Iran census (Iran census = INSURANCES),
24 Bank’s marketing tips (banks ‘marketing tips’ = MAPS) for those interested in what’s coming down the track (MAPS),
25 Cyberspace raid perhaps (E-MISSION) is leaked? (EMISSION is leaked),
26 Psychologist dismisses ghosts (‘psychologist’ dismisses ‘ghosts’ = pycloi = POLICY) as a matter of course (POLICY).
Down:
1 Man of the cloth (TAILOR) showing off (= anagram indicator) Rialto (Rialto = TAILOR),
2 Opens Lennon and McCartney’s performance (opens Lennon and McCartney’s performance = LAMP) and is a source of illumination (LAMP),
3 The Animals’ set opens (The Animals’ set opens = TAS-) to hysteria (-MANIA) (TASMANIA) in Australian state (TASMANIA),
4 Some of the belief is traditional (some of the ‘belief is traditional’ = FIST) and that can hurt when hit with it (FIST),
5 Drug addict (US-ER) rings old city (-UR-) (USURER) loan shark (USURER),
6 A haircut associated with an older person (GREY MULLET) – a slippery type Molly Malone could identify (GREY MULLET fish),
7 Hard-working (PROLIFIC) detective (P-I-) admits job (role) is not finished (e) (‘role’ without ‘e’ = -ROL-) and starts finding inconsistences coincidently (starts finding inconsistences coincidently = -FIC) (PROLIFIC),
13 The Dáil visitor (HOUSE GUEST) isn’t at home for long (HOUSE GUEST),
14 Gets to announce (master of ceremonies = ‘MC’ = EMCEE) half of them (half of ‘them’ = EM-) at church (Church of England = -CE-) fete for foundation (‘fete’ for foundation = -E) (EMCEE),
16 Steal (NICK-) someone’s identity (-NAME) (NICKNAME) or familiar moniker (NICKNAME),
17 Exercises (PRESS-UPS) little dogs (P-UPS) burying most of (c) the salad stuff! (‘cress’ without ‘c’ = -RESS) (PRESS-UPS),
19 Take film away from unfamiliar (take ‘film’ away from ‘unfamiliar’ = unaiar = URANIA) muse (URANIA is Muse of astronomy),
21 Talking points (TOPICS) of how to (TO-) get photographs (-PICS) (TOPICS),
23 Fiddles (CONS) for Colman Hawkins on both sides (‘Colman Hawkins’ on both sides = CONS),
24 Guy (MALE) slips a disc in medicals (slips a ‘disc’ in ‘medicals’ = MALE).
crosswordeditor@irishtimes.com