Across:
8 Say it isn’t so (DENIAL), as it wasn’t me (DENIAL),
9 Master (TAKE IT IN) the first two in 22 across (the first two in ‘take it easy’ = TAKE IT) – how is that popular? (IN) (TAKE IT IN),
10 Drunk in the public house (BEER) starts on 13 down (starts on ‘beer brewer’ = BEER),
11 Gave someone a piece of one’s mind (TOOK TO TASK) and enjoyed the work? (TOOK TO TASK),
12 Run a risk (GAMBLE) with a feature of the roof (GA-BLE) around back of the stadium (back of ‘stadium’ = -M-) (GAMBLE),
14 In Ireland (Republic of Ireland = RO-I-) cycle race (RÁS) turns (= reversal indicator) (RÁS = -SAR-) up mountain summits (‘up mountain’ summits = -UM) (ROSARIUM) where you’ll find some of the best blooming climbers (ROSARIUM / rose garden),
15 What figure in Ring might be expected to cope with (TAKE IT ON THE CHIN) or endure without complaint (TAKE IT ON THE CHIN),
18 Old Bob (old bob = shilling = S-) Drumm (“drumm” = “drum” = -TUB-) said (= homophone indicator) it was delivered (-BORN) (STUBBORN) by pig-headed type (STUBBORN),
20 Curl up (NESTLE) in front of (= positional indicator) the foreign (the = -LE) tree house (NEST-) (NESTLE),
22 Put up the feet (TAKE IT EASY) by 25 across opening (‘take five’ opening = TAKE) one (I-) Yeats (Yeats = -T EASY) novel (= anagram indicator) (TAKE IT EASY),
24 Nail (TACK) some upsetting (= reversal indicator) trademark catcall (some ‘trademark catcall’ = k cat = TACK),
25 Open 15 across (‘take it on the chin’ = TAKE) with key (music key F-) to workers’ home (hive) starting off (h) (‘hive’ without ‘h’ = -IVE) (TAKE FIVE) to relax (TAKE FIVE),
26 Trim (b) financial institute (bank) (‘bank’ without ‘b’ = ANK-) takes accommodation (-LET) (ANKLET) from one of those down at heel (ANKLET).
Down:
1 One of the younger guys in Rome in the past (Roman statesman = SENECA The Younger) is seen (seen = SENE-) upset (= anagram indicator) with accountant (-CA) (SENECA),
2 Backing (= reversal indicator) track (track = rail = LIAR) tells a story but not necessarily the right one (LIAR),
3 The price of accommodation (FLAT FEE-) on square (-T square) (FLAT FEET) within touching distance of ground floor with fallen arches (FLAT FEET),
4 Characters in shoot tolerate (characters in ‘shoot tolerate’ = OTTO) big name in Germany (OTTO),
5 Members of Ray’s family (SKATES in the ray family of fish) with woman (-KATE-) in ship (S-S) (SKATES),
6 Tax (DIRT tax) what the group made (group/band made TRACKS) (DIRT TRACKS) of rough, racy versions of Where the Streets Have No Name, perhaps (DIRT TRACKS),
7 US State (MISSOURI) address (MISS-) from a beautiful woman (houri) needing no introduction (h) (‘houri’ without ‘h’ = -OURI) (MISSOURI),
13 Honey producer (BEE-) meets resistance (-R) from stout producer (BREWER) (BEER BREWER) responsible for 23 down (BEER BREWER responsible for ‘ales’),
14 Insolvency (ruin = RU-IN) over direction (direction north = -N-) (RUN-IN) leads to quarrel (RUN-IN),
16 Part of the column (ASTRAGAL is a part of an architectural column) is to do with the stars (astral = ASTRA-L) including legend (‘leg’ end = -G-) from America (-A) (ASTRAGAL),
17 Two types of workers (hand + man = HAND-MAN) around yard (-Y-) (HANDYMAN) – one is a jack-of-all-trades (HANDYMAN),
19 Come by (OBTAIN) boat in (boat in = OBTAIN) detour (= anagram indicator),
21 Troublesome (= anagram indicator) clerk (clerk = L-CKER) took in head of (head ‘of’ = -O-) (LOCKER) The Cabinet (LOCKER),
23 Rig leaves Algiers (‘rig’ leaves ‘Algiers’ = ales = ALES) destined for the public houses (ALES),
24 Bit of filming (TAKE) in Minnesota, Kentucky? (in ‘Minnesota Kentucky’ = ta Ke = TAKE).