Across:
8 Graduate (M-A-) catches broadcast (-ON-) with company (-CO) (MONACO) in the country across the French border (MONACO),
9 Favourite actor (FILM IDOL) from My Left Foot, for one (FILM), is not working (‘idle’ = ‘IDOL’) we hear (= homophone indicator) (FILM IDOL),
10 Shame (PITY) one of The Stones (PIT-) joins Yes (-Y) (PITY),
11 Notices (spots = SPOT -S) around European (‘Czech’ = ‘check’ = CHECK-) state (= homophone indicator) (SPOT CHECKS) for random examinations (SPOT CHECKS),
12 Nevertheless, resent leaving (‘nevertheless’, ‘resent’ leaving/ without ‘resent’ = evhels = SHELVE) to work in a library (SHELVE),
14 Exaggerates (OVERACTS) what 9 across does (a ‘film idol’ acts = -ACTS) after (= position indicator) Romeo (lover) loses the head (l) (‘lover’ without ‘l’ = OVER-) (OVERACTS),
15 A level of frustration (DISSATISFACTION) is (-IS-) behind (= positional indicator) dispute primarily (‘dispute’ primarily = -D-) for compensation (-SATISFATION) (DISSATISFATION),
18 The Blades (UTENSILS) staggeringly (= anagram indicator) silent (silent = -TENSIL-) in America (U-S) (UTENSILS),
20 The Yard (-Y) is after (= position indicator) gangster (DON-) from Kildare (-KE-) (DONKEY) for name of mule (DONKEY),
22 Presumably you get this in The Irish Times? (‘Ticket’ magazine = FREE TICKET) Pass! (FREE TICKET),
24 Some of the local stick (BOSS is part of hurley stick) for the one in charge (BOSS),
25 Anticipate (FORETELL) toll-free (toll-free = FORETELL) deviation (= anagram indicator),
26 Exhibited (OPENED) definitive book (Oxford English Dictionary = OED = O-ED), writer (-PEN-) has gone into (OPENED).
Down:
1 Take a shine to (POLISH) one of the buffs (POLISH),
2 Don is out of boyband (‘Don’ is out of ‘boyband’ = byba = BABY) – presumably he took to the bottle? (BABY),
3 Is on site (is one site = NOISIEST) creating (= anagram indicator) the biggest racket (NOISIEST),
4 Take clothes off after school (take ‘clothes’ off ‘after school’ = afro = AFRO) over one’s head? (AFRO),
5 An old chestnut (CLICHÉ) – Sam is off the chemicals (‘Sam’ is off the ‘chemicals’ = cheicl = CLICHÉ),
6 Spike (PIN-) approaches English (-E-) Market (MART-) for a fair amount of (half of) cattle (half of ‘oxen’ = -EN) (PINE MARTEN) and an animal similar to a weasel (PINE MARTEN),
7 Prepare to empty the chamber (‘cock’ the gun = COCK-) for a (-A-) tawny headed (‘tawny’ headed = -T-) couple of ducks (O+O = -OO) (COCKATOO) – one of which is a noisy bird (COCKATOO),
13 Fails to win (loses = LOS -ES) over darling (ANGEL-) (LOS ANGELES) in America (LOS ANGELES),
14 Caustic soda gets rid of cicada? (‘caustic soda’ gets rid of ‘cicada’ = ustso = OUSTS) Drives them out! (OUSTS),
16 College (-C-) in Orient (Orient = INTER-O-) streaming (= anagram indicator) mass (-M) (INTERCOM) communications system (INTERCOM),
17 Tax cheat’s worst nightmare (AUDIT-) to get charged (-ION) (AUDITION) – it’s an opportunity to test one’s ability at playing the fool (AUDITION),
19 Most of (h) the Irish (‘Irish’ without ‘h’ = IRIS-) and English (-E-) going to school (-S) (IRISES) with some of the pupils (IRISES),
21 Auctioneers ignored count (‘auctioneers’ ignored ‘count’ = aieers = EASIER) – what could be simpler? (EASIER),
23 Kay (K-) and Dicky to the locals (‘locally’ dicky/sick = -ILL) (KILL) in Kildare (KILL),
24 Last word from world-beaters (‘last word’ from ‘world-beaters’ = beer = BEER) drunk in the public house (BEER).