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Hi Rocky,

22a - the "country" is the 2 letters either side of the "horse"...

Now as to whether it's actually a country.... I leave that particular can of worms unopened:-)

Thanks Brendan. I was forgetting the male part. Yes, my wife is from Belfast and I think she might contend that one. Enough said.

Well I managed to get 22ac and parse it, but I think I have less than half done. I've got 13d and some of the cross referred clues, but I am struggling. I was hoping for an easy crossword this week. I am very tired after a busy week and it's been raining on and off making hanging out my washing difficult. Excuses Excuses.

I can guess an answer for 26/11 but I can't parse it and now you tell me the L I was hoping for is wrong. I see now I was spelling it wrong. That may help. But I can't parse it as with many others. I don't understand 24d. What is a Russian ace?

I'm not sure if I have the right answer for 14d. My crossers are U?D?R???T? Have I got the letters right as I can't completely parse 17ac and can't see the definition.

I'll go back to my settee and have another go. I'll be back if I don't fall asleep.

Hi Roof
Have a good rest!
24 it's a "Russian ace on board".
Letters right for 14d
17a is "Showed delight", rather loosely
I've not fully parsed the long one either

26, 11 is an anagram ("rum").

Roof and Chris

The whole of the first row of clue 26,11 is a line from the poem
The second row defines the She and is an anagram (indicated by rum)

Thank you Chris and others

I have finished before coming back to the forum and feel woefully ignorant today. Of course I didn't know the Russian ace. It might as well have been football! I've managed to avoid watching any of it. But 10ac is one of my favourite writers. I had to google the poem and the Irish author.

The rest of my message has disappeared.

Lots to check with my friend in Sheffield tomorrow.

I had set out my FOI and LOI in the message that disappeared. Here they are again.

FOI 18ac closely followed by 7d and 21d.
LOI 26ac when the penny dropped from the hints
CODs 13ac and 22ac

I was a bit ashamed to say Roof I had never heard of 10a. Clearly worth a read then.

Rocky7. Try Germinal and Thérèse Raquin. Not comfortable but superb.