Across:
8 High-flyer (hawk) sacrifices weekend (‘week’ end = k) (‘hawk’ without ‘k’ = HAW-) at first-class (-AI-) institute (-I) (HAWAII) in Pacific Ocean (HAWAII),
9 Screws up (BLUNDERS) and burns LED (burns led = BLUNDERS) fitting (= anagram indicator),
10 Refuse to admit (DENY) some of the downtrodden youths (some of ‘the downtrodden youths’ = DENY),
11 Work out (SETTLE-) worker’s (workers = -MEN-) time (-T) (SETTLEMENT) in colony (SETTLEMENT),
12 Fragment of Thomas Aquinas’s autobiography (fragment of ‘Thomas Aquinass autobiography’ = NASSAU) is found in The Bahamas (NASSAU),
14 Secretary (PA-) gets temporary lease (-RENTAL) (PARENTAL) of life – support you’d associate from The Elders (PARENTAL support),
15 What a gum shield is supposed to protect against (A KICK IN THE TEETH) is a big disappointment (A KICK IN THE TEETH),
18 He ain’t an (he aint an = ATHENIAN) unreliable (= anagram indicator) type living in Greece (ATHENIAN),
20 Puts a team together (FIELDS a team) in department (-D-) swamped by new (= anagram indicator) files (files = FIEL-S) (FIELDS),
22 They’re reminders of what’s still to be done (CHECKLISTS) as European (“Czech” = “check” = CHECK-) state (= homophone indicator) lost (-L-) the cream of university (firsts = 1STS = -ISTS) (CHECKLISTS),
24 The most important (MAIN) American state (“Maine” = “MAIN”) it is said (= homophone indicator),
25 University (U-) and institute (Dublin Institute of Technology = -DIT-) in need (-NE-ED) (UNEDITED) of a first draft perhaps (UNEDITED),
26 Victor (-V-) is in low-lying areas (VAL-ES) (VALVES) controlling the distribution of liquids (VALVES).
Down:
1 Americans dismiss sin (‘Americans’ dismiss ‘sin’ = amerca = CAMERA) of film producer? (CAMERA),
2 Early man (BABY) is a bundle of joy (BABY),
3 Endless (t) cloud (‘mist’ without ‘t’ = MIS-) off (-SOUR-) island (-I) (MISSOURI) bordering Mississippi? (MISSOURI),
4 Knocked back (= reversal indicator) sample from Chianti bottle (sample of ‘Chianti bottle’ = tibo = OBIT) in passing – this is the life (OBIT),
5 In spite of that (BUT-), the French (the = -LE-) Resistance (-R) (BUTLER) is working in servitude to The House (BUTLER),
6 Turns up (= reversal indicator), first lady (EVE) is linked to genetic material (DNA = AND) on bananas (mad = -DAM) and primarily on apples (primarily on ‘apples’ = A-) (ADAM AND EVE) produced by the gardeners? (ADAM AND EVE),
7 Lead character (lead ‘character’ = -C-) in wild (= anagram indicator) tartans (tartans = TRANSA-T) (TRANSACT) in Carry on Business (carry on business = TRANSACT),
13 Most of (a) the Mediterranean (‘sea’ without ‘a’ = SE-) fish (COD-) consumed by Greek Island? (CRET -E) (SECRET CODE) Crack this and you’ll know the answer! (SECRET CODE),
14 Piece of aubergine tapenade (piece of ‘aubergine tapenade’ = netap) served up (= reversal indicator) (netap = PATEN) for host on a silver platter (PATEN),
16 Sketch in (sketch in = KITCHENS) play (= anagram indicator) for those with a craving (KITCHENS),
17 Expressing gratitude (EFFUSIVE) to engineer (E-) finding top (‘finding’ top = -F-) part of the bomb (-FUS-E) around leads in vehicle (leads ‘in vehicle’ = -IV-) (EFFUSIVE),
19 The sounds (sounds/waterways = INLETS) of silent (silent = INLETS) treatment? (= anagram indicator),
21 Finishing beer (finishing ‘beer’ = -R-) in seedy bar (D-IVE-), skinhead (‘skin’ head = -S) (DRIVES) takes to the road (DRIVES),
23 Found in residence (found in ‘residence’ = SIDE) in Munster (SIDE),
24 Guy (MALE) slips a disc in medicals (slips a ‘disc’ in ‘medicals’ = meal = MALE).