Across:
1 Those who should be prepared (Scout motto "Be Prepared" / SCOUTS) for closing of 11 down (closing of 'talent scouts' = SCOUTS),
4 Small (S-) joint (-HIP- joint) behind The House (-YARD) (SHIPYARD) where they presumably got the idea for the Punt (presumably got the idea for punt/boat in SHIPYARD),
9 Serves up (= reverse indicator) draught (air = -RIA-) surrounded by eggs, sausages and rashers (fry = F-RY) (FRIARY) in brother’s accommodation (FRIARY),
10 Margi (Margi) cracking up (= anagram indicator) (Margi = MIGRA-) The Hill (-TOR) (MIGRATOR) with seasonal traveller (MIGRATOR),
12 Sausage (CHIPOLATA), duck (-O-) and head of lettuce (head of ‘Lettuce’ = -L-) in fresh (= anagram indicator) chapati (chapati = CHIP-ATA) (CHIPOLATA),
13 A noble type (BARON) of lace from Barcelona (‘lace’ from ‘Barcelona’ = baron = BARON),
14 Quiet partner (PEACE- and quiet) is not giving up (-KEEPING) (PEACEKEEPING) pouring oil on troubled waters (PEACEKEEPING),
18 Imagine (PICTURE) The Dáil (HOUSE) (PICTURE HOUSE) as a place where they like to keep you in the dark, feed you popcorn and put on a show for you (PICTURE HOUSE),
21 Caught (C-) broadcast (-AIR-) from old (-O) (CAIRO) African city (CAIRO),
22 Crack (= anagram indicator) cut in Reno (cut in Reno = CENTURION) by old soldier (CENTURION),
24 Honorary title presented to one of those retiring (EMERITUS) from One Direction (East = E-) at benefit (benefit/advantage = -MERIT-) for Americans (-US) (EMERITUS),
25 Produced (= anagram indicator) a scent (a scent = STANCE) with attitude (STANCE),
26 Make known (DISCLOSE) this is one (-I-) top slammer (top ‘Slammer’ = -S-) in DC (D-C-) to escape from (escape from/evade = -LOSE) (DISCLOSE),
27 Genius (TALENT) for opening 11 down (opening ‘talent scouts’ = TALENT).
Down:
1 It's not hard (it's SOFT) to find policeman (COP-) from The Yard (-Y) (SOFT COPY) and that won't appear in print (SOFT COPY),
2 The first (ORIGINAL) Generalissimo seems out of it? (‘Generalissimo’ seems out of it/without ‘seems’ = gnraliio = ORIGINAL),
3 Part of the body (TORSO) in Aldershot or Southampton (in ‘aldershoT OR SOuthampton’ = TORSO),
5 Broadcast (air) on the radio (= homophone indicator) (‘air’ = ‘HEIR’) backed (= reverse indicator) public address (PA = AP-) by the old man (-PARENT) (HEIR APPARENT) to the one who’ll obviously succeed (HEIR APPARENT),
6 Leave the car (PARK) by high mountain (BEN-) going to church? (-CH) (PARK BENCH) As for the rest, I’d sit on it! (PARK BENCH),
7 Local gear (‘local’ gear = ATTIRE) produced by outfit (ATTIRE).
8 Throwing down the gauntlet (DARING) to close relative (DA-) in Waterford (-RING) (DARING),
11 Headhunters (TALENT SCOUTS) in old capital (old Roman capital/currency = TALENT) cost us (cost us) badly (= anagram indicator) (cost us = SCOUTS) (TALENT SCOUTS),
15 The leader’s opinion (EDITORIAL), aside from the letter writers (EDITORIAL aside/at one side of “Letters to the Editor”),
16 The Spectator’s (the spectators = AUDIENCE) formal interview with politician (AUDIENCE),
17 Behind with payments (BE IN DEBT), West African country (Benin) loses heart (n) (‘beNin’ without ‘n’ = BE IN) with Germany (.de = DE-) and Banks’ boycott (banks ‘BoycotT’ = -BT) (BE IN DEBT),
19 Diatribe (SCREED) from barman (senior counsel = SC-) taking grass (-REED) (SCREED),
20 The German (‘the’ German = -DER-) behind (= position indicator) recipe at The Centre (‘reCIpe’ at The Centre = CI-) primarily for soft (primarily for ‘Soft’ = -S) (CIDERS) apple drinks (CIDERS),
23 Extremist (ULTRA) upsets (= reversal indicator) art (art = -TRA) college (University of Limerick = UL-) from the start (= position indicator) (ULTRA).