Across:
1 Hop off cargo ship (“hop” off “cargo ship” = cargsi = CIGARS) coming out of Cuba (CIGARS),
4 Haughty (ARROGANT) answer (A-) to diatribe (-R-ANT) about capital’s rate of growth (capitals/first letters of “rate of growth” = -ROG-) (ARROGANT),
9 Centurions get no rest (‘centurions’ get no ‘rest’ = cnuion = NUNCIO) on papal mission (NUNCIO),
10 Brief (brief = FIREB-) play (= anagram indicator) for everyone (-ALL) (FIREBALL) is a bundle of energy (FIREBALL),
12 Article (A-) by Bill (tab = -T A -B) covered small (LOW) starters of eggs benedict (starters of ‘eggs benedict’ = -EB-) (AT A LOW EBB) in a poor state (AT A LOW EBB),
13 Song and dance (SCENE) witnessed in the abbey (SCENE in The Abbey Theatre),
14 Upsetting (= reversal indicator) broadcast (on = NO) to concern (MATTER) women (W-) from Balmoral (Balmoral hat = -HAT) (NO MATTER WHAT), in any case (NO MATTER WHAT),
18 Addict (USER-) is familiar with (-FRIENDLY) (USER-FRIENDLY) something that is idiot-proof (USER-FRIENDLY),
21 Honest (“Frank” = FRANC) report (= homophone indicator) from old European capital (FRANC),
22 Report back briefly (TOUCH BASE), finger (TOUCH) is from part of the statue (BASE) (TOUCH BASE),
24 Turns up (= reversal indicator), most of (e) the racket (‘noise’ without ‘e’ = nois = -SION) is from university (University of Limerick = UL = -LU-) for the French (the = la = AL-) (ALLUSION) or that’s the indirect inference (ALLUSION),
25 Spot for a yacht (MARINA) crew getting away from Crimean War (‘crew’ getting away from ‘Crimean War’ = imanar = MARINA),
26 Consider in a different light (REASSESS) most of (l) the actual (“real” without “l” = REA-) engineering (-E-) found in two ships (SS-SS) (REASSESS),
27 Get lost (BEAT IT) in Tibet? A (Tibet a = BEAT IT) mistake! (= anagram indicator).
Down:
1 Keeps under control (CONTAINS) with messy (= anagram indicator) sanction (sanction = CONTAINS),
2 Nice policeman (Nice/French policeman = GENDARME) in awful (= anagram indicator) danger (danger = GENDAR-) a fair amount of (half of) the time (half of the ‘time’ = -ME) (GENDARME),
3 Greek character (character/letter of Greek alphabet = Rho = RH-O) captures popular (-IN-) (RHINO) wild animal (RHINO),
5 Writing (from the 3Rs = R-) ain’t (-AIN- T-) about Bob (bob/curtsy = -BOW) on short (e) course (‘route’ without ‘e’ = -ROUT) (RAINBOW TROUT) with colourful swimmer (RAINBOW TROUT),
6 Dramatise (OVERSTATE) what’s finished (OVER-) by the people (-STATE) (OVERSTATE),
7 Confounded (AMAZED) by rebellious (= anagram indicator) dame (dame = AM-ED) holding all the letters (A to Z = -AZ-) (AMAZED),
8 Spilled the beans on (TALKED) stakeholders getting rid of horses (‘stakeholders’ getting rid of ‘horses’ = taklde = TALKED),
11 Bar elections (bar elections = CELEBRATIONS) confusing (= anagram indicator) parties (CELEBRATIONS),
15 Measure (TEST) what you get when you buy beers (CASES) (TEST CASES) in trials that affect laws coming down the track (TEST CASES),
16 Best possible (IDEAL-) result from university (1ST = -IST) (IDEALIST) for visionary (IDEALIST),
17 Person (TYPE-) having fling (fling/throw = -CAST) (TYPECAST) is always acting the maggot perhaps (TYPECAST),
19 A (A-) party (Fianna Fáil = -FF-) broadcast (-AIR) (AFFAIR) leads to potential scandal (AFFAIR),
20 No Pinot in Appellation (no “pinot” in “appellation” = apella = PAELLA) that’s a staple of Spanish restaurant (PAELLA),
23 Cast (HEAVE) man (HE-) for smaller version of The Road (road = avenue = -AVE) (HEAVE).