Across:
1 Cute animals (cute-looking KOALAS) down in Ring (down in boxing ring / knock out = KO-), regrettably (-ALAS) (KOALAS),
4 Couple of beastly figures (ass + ass = ASSASS-) up (= reversal indicator) north (NI = -IN) (ASSASSIN) capable of getting away with murder (ASSASSIN),
9 Minor (minor = NIMRO-) playing (= anagram indicator) drums from the start (‘drums’ from the start = -D) (NIMROD) in Genesis (Genesis, the great-grandson of Noah, known for his skill as a hunter = NIMROD),
10 Pub (ALEHOUSE) auction (sale) doesn’t include front (s) (‘sale’ without ‘s’ = ALE-) and back of 11 down (‘cleaned house’ = -HOUSE) (ALEHOUSE),
12 Samples (PORTFOLIO) drink (PORT-) with duck (-O-) in filo (filo = F-LIO) bake (= anagram indicator) (PORTFOLIO),
13 Ethical (MORAL) dame is not involved in melodrama (‘dame’ is not involved in ‘melodrama’ = mlora = MORAL),
14 Someone’s confidence (NERVE-) using GPS (tracking) heading off (t) (‘tracking’ without ‘t’ = -RACKING) (NERVE RACKING) can be stressful (NERVE-RACKING),
18 Can’t be saved (IRREDEEMABLE) by teacher (sir) losing the head (s) (‘sir’ without ‘s’ = IR-) with convert (-REDEEM-) up to the task (-ABLE) (IRREDEEMABLE),
21 Hotelier takes out the (‘hotelier’ takes out ‘the’ = olier = ORIEL) bay window (ORIEL),
22 Church leaders (HIERARCHY) greet (HI-) rare (rare = -ERAR-) review (= reversal indicator) that’s a fair bit (half of) touchy (half of ‘touchy’ = -CHY) (HIERARCHY),
24 Small (S-) fabled runner (-HARE from The Tortoise and the Hare in Aesop’s Fables) and from old (O-) state (Utah = -UT) (SHARE-OUT) of Split (SHARE-OUT),
25 Machiavellian type (S-LY) guarding old (-O-), old city (-UR-) (SOURLY) in a bitter way (SOURLY),
26 Dessert (SWEET-) with fruit (pear) is not finished (r) (‘pear’ without ‘r’ = -PEA) (SWEETPEA) with the fragrant colourful flowers on the rise (SWEETPEA),
27 Is not open (CLOSED) or shut? (CLOSED).
Down:
1 Bosses (KINGPINS) one of those in The Palace (KING-) and needles mate? (‘pins and needles’ = -PINS) (KINGPINS),
2 Lovers (ADMIRERS) married (married = ADMIRER-) drunk (= anagram indicator) on bender (-S bend) (ADMIRERS),
3 Sample of vindaloo fare (sample of ‘vindaloo fare’ = ALOOF) can be reserved (ALOOF),
5 One of those running 10 across (SALOON KEEPER running ‘alehouse’) out west for person behind bars (SALOON KEEPER),
6 Bill (AD) from The House (home = HOM-E-) covers popular (-IN-) Second Amendment (second ‘amendment’ = -M) (AD HOMINEM) appealing to Roman prejudices rather than reason (AD HOMINEM),
7 Fail to get out of qualifiers (‘fail’ to get out of ‘qualifiers’ = quiers = SQUIRE) with an English gentleman (SQUIRE),
8 Elder statesmen to get rid of the smart set (‘elder statesmen’ to get rid of the ‘smart set’ = eldeen = NEEDLE) for Spike (NEEDLE),
11 Assembled the dirt (CLEANED) on most of those in 19 down (most of ‘houses’ = HOUSE) (CLEANED HOUSE) and did The Dáil a service perhaps (CLEANED HOUSE),
15 Rent lemon (rent lemon = ENROLMENT) complex? (= anagram indicator) That’s some admission! (ENROLMENT),
16 Hides (OBSCURES) half of Jacob’s (half of ‘Jacobs’ = OBS-) smokes (-CURES) (OBSCURES),
17 Revolutionary (= reversal indicator) got married (wed = DEW-) at end of mutiny (end of ‘mutiny’ = -Y-), witnessed by (-EYED) (DEWY-EYED) emotional, nostalgic type (DEWY-EYED),
19 Takes advantage of (-USES) surprise (HO-) opening (= positional indicator) (HOUSES) for a number of families (HOUSES),
20 Road (MI-) anger (-RAGE) (MIRAGE) – the like of which you don’t really see in barren space (MIRAGE),
23 First act (first ‘act’ = A-) from The Onedin Line opens (‘The Onedin Line’ opens = -TOL-) on lost (-L) (ATOLL) ring-shaped island (ATOLL).