Across
1
Fall to the ground (touch of hydrophobia) (4)
3
Extremely dark sweatshirt worn (10)
9
Soldiers, Italian, following peacekeepers (4)
10
Teach a lesson in specialist area (10)
11
Feeling giddy before stakes amassed in sports venue (8,4)
15
Madness without Suggs at the front? It's meaningless (7)
16
Twisted conceit: Tolkien's monster's a meanie (7)
17
Ape with neck out of shape: it's a bone (7)
19
A little ecstatic at a language that's spoken in Iberia (7)
20
Son has cloudy disposition in place of learning (6,6)
23
Actors' performances, amateur, drawn out: pretends to enjoy it (5,5)
24
Is unable to sermonise (4)
25
Priest's set off to find relative (10)
26
Naked, bashful, praiseful verses (4)
Down
1
Chicken pieces, as seen in steel pan (10)
2
Begins and gives a speech having consumed one drink (10)
4
Dash with money from the South to get to Houston? (7)
5
Initially playing for time, intones instructions (7)
6
Big beast close to Arctic, barking a kind of oath (11)
7
In earliest stages (elsewise, romantically), Ireland's name? (4)
8
Reportedly, players proliferate (4)
12
Seaways offering larger things to eat (4,7)
13
Playwright having chicken after Christmas (4,6)
14
Once again, blows up ten flares ... I digress (10)
18
Quietly confuses those propelling a boat (7)
19
Urge to tuck into something sugary that's spicy (7)
21
Work's over; drink up (4)
22
A passing diversion, Everyman's beginning to lose freshness (4)