Across:
8 Badger (BOTHER) or dog? (BOTHER),
9 Told fibs (lied = LI- -ED) about a German (‘a’ German = ein = -E IN) bishop (B-) (LIE IN BED) offering to remain undercover taking a rest (LIE IN BED),
10 Pitch (pitch/throw = CAST) for the players (CAST),
11 Pirates on a (pirates on a) rig (= anagram indicator) (pirates on a = SEPARATION) in Gulf (SEPARATION),
12 Whipped (BEATEN) Béchamel starter (‘Béchamel’ starter = B-) and consumed (-EATEN) (BEATEN),
14 The sound on the street (RAP MUSIC) of wild (= anagram indicator) pumas (pumas = -AP MUS-) captured by old police force (Royal Irish Constabulary = RIC = R- -IC) (RAP MUSIC),
15 Permitted (LEGAL) to get 11 across (‘separation’ = SEPARATION) (LEGAL SEPARATION) in divorce (LEGAL SEPARATION),
18 Within the bounds of possibilities (FEASIBLE) to American (-A-) consumed by unreliable (= anagram indicator) beliefs (beliefs = FE-SIBLE) (FEASIBLE),
20 Fat (LARD-) engineer (-E-) by mid-afternoon (mid ‘afteRnoon’ = -R) (LARDER) is storing a supply of food (LARDER),
22 Take head off (DECAPITATE) expert (ace) going back (= reverse indicator) (ace = -ECA-) to mine (-PIT-) in the middle of Christmas 1914, for instance (date = D-ATE) (DECAPITATE),
24 Foremost calories (foremost ‘Calories’ = -C-) in butter? (fat = FA-T) (FACT) Every scientist knows that! (FACT),
25 To the poet, always (e’er = -EER-) consumed by where one finds actors (stage = ST-AGE) (STEERAGE) – in Titanic, for instance (STEERAGE),
26 Director (-D-) in steel (steel) works (= anagram indicator) (steel = EL-EST) (ELDEST) is the first to arrive (ELDEST).
Down:
1 Uncover (LOCATE) speculators dismissing Spurs (‘speculators’ dismissing ‘spurs’ = eclato = LOCATE),
2 Characters with no carers (‘characters’ with no ‘carers’ = hact = CHAT) or that’s the gossip (CHAT),
3 Anchors (anchors on television PRESENTS) in The Media (The Media = PRES-S) covering net (net) working? (= anagram indicator) (net = -ENT-) (PRESENTS),
4 Flip (= reverse indicator) both sides of pigment cells (both sides of ‘PIgment celLS’ = pils = SLIP) by mistake (SLIP),
5 Get through (BEAR UP) to listener (-EAR) in public house (pub) falling over (= reverse indicator) (pub = B- UP) (BEAR UP),
6 Guide (INSTRUCTOR) for Trim (t) coach (instruct) (‘instruct’ without ‘t’ = INSTRUC-) on The Hill (-TOR) (INSTRUCTOR),
7 Corn pie (corn pie) baked (= anagram indicator) (corn pie = PECORIN-) with duck (-O) (PECORINO) and cheese (PECORINO cheese),
13 Exchanged words in manner of speaking (TRANSLATED) with Troy (T-) and managed (-RAN-) to get criticised harshly (-SLATED) (TRANSLATED),
14 French street (French ‘street’ = RU-E) contains gym (-PE-) (RUPEE) – the Indians get their money’s worth out of it (RUPEE),
16 Oriental (East = E-) workers (-MEN-) in accommodation (let = -LE-T-) taking the last of the readings (last of the ‘readingS’ = -S) (ELEMENTS) of the rain and wind (ELEMENTS),
17 It’s about (RE-) piece of fiction (-LIE-) by revolutionary (= reversal indicator) old leader (de Valera = Dev = -VED) (RELIEVED) – for that we can be thankful (RELIEVED)
19 Young man (lad = -DAL) from old revolutionary organisation (Irish Republican Brotherhood = IRB) going all the way back (= reverse indicator) (IRB = BRI-) (BRIDAL) concerns one joining The Union (BRIDAL),
21 Charlie (-C-) follows (= position indicator) old partner (EX-) to work (-USE) (EXCUSE) with justification (EXCUSE),
23 Different types of beer (ALES) cups from capsules? (‘cups’ from ‘capsules’ = ales = ALES),
24 Decline (FADE) what’s fancied (FAD-) in the last (e) race (last ‘racE’ = -E) (FADE).