Across:
8 Problems (ISSUES) for lots of children (ISSUES),
9 Keep up (MAINTAIN) with important (MAIN-) Irish legend (An Táin = -TAIN) (MAINTAIN),
10 Reserve (SAVE) concealed by Brezhnev astonishingly (concealed by ‘brezhnEV AStonishingly’ = evas) going all the way back (= reversal indicator) (evas = SAVE),
11 Zealots (HARDLINERS) destroying (= anagram indicator) Ireland (Ireland = -ARDLINE-) in hours (hrs = H-RS) (HARDLINERS),
12 Orson Welles dismisses lower- (‘Orson Welles’ dismisses ‘lower’ = sonles = LESSON) -class type? (LESSON),
14 Describes designer luggage (COOL BAGS) for fan (fan/ventilate = COOL) to pick up (to BAG-) from basement stores (basement ‘storeS’ = -S) (COOL BAGS),
15 Most of 8 across (most of ‘issues’ = ISSUE) start analysing (start ‘Analysing’ = A) announcement (STATEMENT) (ISSUE A STATEMENT) in talk to the press (ISSUE A STATEMENT),
18 This flaw (this flaw = HALFWITS) cracks up (= anagram indicator) local clowns (HALFWITS),
20 Depletions (LOSSES) of sole (sole = LO- ES) swimming (= anagram indicator) around ship (-SS-) (LOSSES),
22 Compensation for successful hits (BLOOD MONEY) with Roots (BLOOD) and Bread (MONEY) (BLOOD MONEY),
24 Ron from Newport (‘Ron’ from ‘Newport’ = ewpt = WEPT) broke down (WEPT),
25 Sounds like (= homophone indicator) an instruction to find that woman (‘go get her’ = ‘GO-GETTER’), the kind that’s ambitious (GO-GETTER),
26 To made an impression (‘affect = ‘EFFECT’) on the radio (= anagram indicator) leads to repercussions (EFFECT).
Down:
1 Questionable (= anagram indicator) space (space = ESCAP-) for sweetheart (‘swEet’ heart = -E) (ESCAPE) to get free (ESCAPE),
2 Three-dimensional block (CUBE) served up (= reversal indicator) in ice bucket (in ‘icE BUCket = ebuc = CUBE),
3 The Asian (the Asian = ASTHENIA) doctor (= anagram indicator) with abnormal physical weakness (ASTHENIA),
4 Address of Turkish ruler (EMIR) held up (= reversal indicator) in Leitrim enterprise (in ‘LeitRIM Enterprise’ = rime = EMIR),
5 Old foreign market (RIALTO is the old mercantile quarter of Venice) in Dublin? (RIALTO),
6 What the prankster has in his locker (STINK BOMBS) creates a fuss locally (creates a STINK) for turkeys (BOMBS) (STINK BOMBS),
7 Reflects (= reversal indicator) Germany’s refusal (Germany’s refusal/no = ‘nein’ = NI-EN) to take in Gort (Gort = -TROG-) (NITROGEN) Gas (NITROGEN gas),
13 Put out (SNUFF- out) swings in Ring (-BOXES) (SNUFFBOXES) – at a pinch, the nosey types will use them out of habit (SNUFFBOXES),
14 Alludes to (alludes/refers to = CITES) Dublin and Cork, for instance (cities), not having institute (i) (‘cities’ without ‘i’ = CITES),
16 Short (SMALL-) goes viral (-POX viral disease) (SMALLPOX) and is contagious? (SMALLPOX),
17 Those keeping an eye on The Count (TALLYMEN) supplying goods on credit (TALLYMEN),
19 Meat in (meat in = INMATE) stew (= anagram indicator) could be from an American can (jail) locally? (from jail = INMATE),
21 Assume (EXPECT) former lover (EX-) has record (Extended-Play record = EP = -PE-) brought up (= reversal indicator) in front of (= positional indicator) court (-CT) (EXPECT),
23 Covered up by governor mandated (covered up by ‘goverNOR Mandated’ = NORM) by convention (NORM),
24 Partner (WIFE) with swine fever loses nerves (‘swine fever’ loses ‘nerves’ = wife = WIFE).