Across:
1 Kildare (K-E) contains elevated (= reversal indicator) ancient hill that’s famous (Tara = -ARAT-) (KARATE) for combat (KARATE),
4 Distributes fairly for the Americans (divide/access pro rata in US =) (PRORATES) in favour of (PRO-) judges (-RATES) (PRORATES),
9 Cold (C-) caramel (toffee) blows the head (t) (‘toffee’ without ‘t’ = -OFFEE) (COFFEE) as a stimulant (COFFEE),
10 A sudden undesirable phenomenon (EPIDEMIC) produced by barbaric (= anagram indicator) Medici (Medici = -IDEMIC) after (= positional indicator) revolting (= reversal indicator) exercise (PE = EP-) (EPIDEMIC),
12 Clare (-CE-) pub (BAR-) opens (= positional indicator) with free (= anagram indicator) loan (loan = -LONA) (BARCELONA) of Iberian port? (BARCELONA),
13 Turns up (= reversal indicator) in agreement (in ‘agREEMEnt’ = reeme = EMEER) with Arab leader (EMEER),
14 Pauses doing a job (COFFEE BREAKS) for 9 across (‘coffee’ = COFFEE) and deciphers the code (BREAKS the code) (COFFEE BREAKS),
18 Introduces 14 across (‘coffee breaks’ = COFFEE) to the production teams (MAKERS) (COFFEE MAKERS) of baristas (COFFEE MAKERS),
21 Some deliver a token (some ‘delivER A TOken’ = ERATO) source of poetic inspiration (muse of lyrical poetry = ERATO),
22 A recent arrival in the graveyard (LATECOMER), the abbey is loath to admit perhaps (The Abbey Theatre is loath to admit LATECOMER),
24 Line (-L-) in limited (limited) adaptation (= anagram indicator) (limited = IL-TIMED) (ILL-TIMED) is not what we need now (ILL-TIMED),
25 Produce (CREATE) from area (-A-) within Mediterranean island (CRE-TE) (CREATE),
26 Musician (FLAUTIST) with dress (= anagram indicator) suit (suit = -UTIS-) in accommodation (FLA-T) (FLAUTIST),
27 Rump steak put out (‘rump steak’ put out/ without ‘put’ = rmseak = MAKERS) by producers (MAKERS),
Down:
1 Casually enjoy oneself (kick back = KICKBACK) with rewarding contents of brown envelope (‘brown envelope’ = illicit cash inducement = KICKBACK),
2 Sends-up (= reversal indicator) Party (Fianna Fáil = F = F-F) welcoming remote (far = -RAF-) Irish men (Irish ‘men’ = fir = RIF-) (RIFF-RAFF) – not what you’d call the elite (RIFF-RAFF),
3 Subject matter (THEME) of groan from hatemonger (‘groan’ from ‘hatemonger’ = hteme = THEME),
5 Substitute (REPLACE-) sent (sent = -ENTS) off (= anagram indicator) after (= positional indicator) starting melee (starting ‘Melee’ = -M-) (REPLACEMENTS) with those sitting on the bench (REPLACEMENTS),
6 One of Daisy’s relatives (RUDBECKIA) is impolite (rude) missing the final (‘rude’ without ‘e’ = RUD-) half of Beckett’s (half of ‘Becketts’ = -BECK-) first-class (AI) review (= reversal indicator) (AI = -IA) (RUDBECKIA),
7 Sets up (= reversal indicator) agent (rep = -PER), runner (mat = TAM-) (TAMPER) and doctor (doctor/meddle = TAMPER),
8 Be on the safe side (SECURE) with breakdown (= anagram indicator) rescue (rescue = SECURE),
11 Less fun (less fun) exercising (= anagram indicator) (less fun = -FULNESS) after (= position indicator) lack of conviction (DOUBT-) (DOUBTFULNESS) or that’s the suspicion (DOUBTFULNESS),
15 Comes into (comes into) work (= anagram indicator) (comes into = ECONOMIST) with an expert on financial management (ECONOMIST),
16 Spread throughout (PERMEATE) the last of the ochre (the last of the ‘ochrE’ = -E-) in tempera (tempera) mix (= anagram indicator) (tempera = PERM-ATE) (PERMEATE),
17 They take over (USURPERS) from loan sharks (usurers = USUR-ERS) around port (-P-) (USURPERS),
19 It’s a comfort (RELIEF) to official (RE-F) getting to grips with story (-LIE-) (RELIEF),
20 Children’s writer (Roald DAHL-) introduces intelligence agent (introduces ‘Intelligence Agent’ = -IA) (DAHLIA) making an appearance in the plot (DAHLIA),
23 Court (CURIA) old city (-UR-) institute (-I-) dividing California (CA = C-A) (CURIA).