Across:
8 Holds 3 down, for example (BOTTLE holds ‘Percorino’ wine – it’s also a cheese), and local spirit (local spirit/nerve = BOTTLE),
9 Really large space (UNIVERSE) in a foreign (a = UN-) institute (-I-) near Limerick (-VERSE) (UNIVERSE),
10 Take some pharmacological Mickey Finn (take some ‘pharmacological Mickey Finn’ = cal M = CALM) and relax (CALM),
11 Old (O-) bishop (-B-) is well-read (-LITERATE) (OBLITERATE) in Kill (kill = OBLITERATE),
12 Pretentious type (snob = BONS-) up (= reversal indicator) Alpine summit (‘alpine’ summit = -A-) on top of ironwood (on top of ‘ironwood’ = -I) (BONSAI) tree that doesn’t have much growth (BONSAI),
14 Super ale (super ale = PLEASURE) drunk (= anagram indicator) by Joy (PLEASURE),
15 Say what you like (FREEDOM OF SPEECH), Home Rule (FREEDOM) had nothing (O-) to do with key (music key - F) address (SPEECH) (FREEDOM OF SPEECH),
18 Fortune-teller (MYSTIC-) is a (-A-) student (learner = -L) (MYSTICAL) of the occult (MYSTICAL),
20 Pick up (OBTAIN) a bit on (a bit on = OBTAIN) movement (= anagram indicator),
22 Collections of numbers (PHONE BOOKS) for piano (P-) and fine tune (-HONE) for records of a financial nature (BOOKS) (PHONE BOOKS),
24 Concealed by Greta Garbo (concealed by ‘Greta Garbo’ = eta G) setting up (= reversal indicator) (etag = GATE) theatre (The GATE Theatre),
25 Drugs (-EE-) in prison (prison = PION-RS) changed (= anagram indicator) (PIONEERS) those who don’t take a drink (PIONEERS),
26 Trim (t), in good shape (‘fit’ without ‘t’ = FI-), set up for the fight (-RING) (FIRING) and taking one’s shot (FIRING).
Down:
1 Osteopathist ignores thesis (‘osteopathist’ ignores ‘thesis’ = otopat = POTATO) produced by Spud (POTATO),
2 Some psychoanalyst employed (some psychoanalyst employed = st em = STEM) in block (block/curb = STEM),
3 Corn pie (corn pie = PECORIN-) baked (= anagram indicator) with duck (-O) (PECORINO) and cheese (PECORINO cheese),
4 Wonderful looking characters inside (‘wonderful looking’ characters inside = ful l = FULL) had enough (FULL),
5 Head (TIP -) for (-TO-) Spain (-E) (TIPTOE) and carefully watch your step (TIPTOE),
6 Unfortunate (= anagram indicator) reports, etc., (reports etc = RETROSPECT) in survey of past events (in RETROSPECT),
7 Not many people will get this (ESOTERIC) in hospital (-ER-) after (= position indicator) breaking (= anagram indicator) toes (toes = ESOT-) getting intensive care (intensive care = -IC) (ESOTERIC),
13 Make less painful (SWEETEN-) in (-IN-) Government (-G) (SWEETENING) by sugar-coating (SWEETENING),
14 Go in search of The Animals (PROWL) backing (= reversal indicator) record (LP = P-L) covering Clash (-ROW-) (PROWL),
16 Going steady (RHYTHMIC) with one of the regulars (RHYTHMIC),
17 Parade’s (parades = SHOWS OFF) exhibits (SHOWS) not quite right (OFF) (SHOWS OFF),
19 The Wire’s (the wires = CABLES) guys (guys/ropes = CABLES),
21 Keen (INTENT) or slow to leave Tinsel town? (‘slow’ to leave ‘Tinsel town’ = tinetn = INTENT),
23 To be sure, lay off beer (‘to be sure’, lay off/without ‘beer’ = tosu = OUTS) for the drive out (OUST),
24 Miss (GIRL) sea off Algiers (‘sea’ off ‘Algiers’ = lgir = GIRL).