More geographically based cruciverbal fun from the FT. Find it to solve online or download and print at ft.com/crossword
This was an unexpected treat – the World puzzle usually only appears on the first Sunday of the month, rotating with the News, US and Numbers puzzles. Suspect this is a bonus crossword to fill in the odd week, as September has five Sundays.
It’s the usual preamble:
A cryptic puzzle themed on one particular place in the world. Its name should be inserted at 16 across. Work out the place by solving the *asterisked clues, all undefined. Their solutions have some relevance to the place, such as famous people, landmarks, culture and language
I spotted the country we were after quickly, thanks to the excellent anagram at 10 across. I shall never look at the former Irish Taoiseach the same way again. Also pleased to see one of my favourite authors getting a namecheck at 11 down.
Thanks, Peto!
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | LADDER |
Run from large snake (6)
|
| L (large) + ADDER (snake) | ||
| 4 | UNA HEALY |
* Put right after an Italian ploy finally (3,5)
|
| HEAL (put right) after UNA (‘an’ [in] Italian) + last letter (finally) of ploY
Irish singer who came to fame as a member of The Saturdays in the late 00s. |
||
| 9 | MOVIES |
Hint of voyeurism that’s in nearly all short films (6)
|
| First letter (hint) of Voyeurism in MOS[t] (nearly all, [cut] short) [Edit: missed out IE (that is), which is inserted along with the V – thanks to Matthew Newell in the comments] | ||
| 10 | VARADKAR |
* Aardvark let loose (8)
|
| Anagram (let loose) of AARDVARK
Leo Varadkar, Irish politician, who was Taoiseach until he resigned earlier this year. |
||
| 12 | ROLE-PLAY |
Method of training, perhaps in part, to move freely (4-4)
|
| ROLE (part) + PLAY (to move freely) | ||
| 13 | ALCOVE |
Niche audiences initially adore welcoming Conservative leader (6)
|
| First letter (initially) of Audiences + LOVE (adore) containing (welcoming) first letter (leader) of Conservative | ||
| 15 | CORK |
* My first kiss (4)
|
| COR (My!) + first [letter of] Kiss | ||
| 16 | IRELAND |
[See Setter Notes] (7)
|
| The country to which all asterisked clues refer. | ||
| 20 | COLLINS |
* Makes money penning a couple of lines (7)
|
| COINS (makes money) containing (penning) L+L (a couple of lines)
Michael Collins, 1890-1922, Irish revolutionary and leading figure in the fight for Irish independence. |
||
| 21 | BONO |
* Concealed in common objects from the east (4)
|
| Hidden and reversed (from the east) in commON OBjects
Irish singer Paul Hewson, better known by his stage name Bono, lead singer of rock band U2. Top trivia: he got his nickname from a hearing aid shop, Bonavox, local to where he grew up. |
||
| 25 | ORANGE |
House by a river in South Africa (6)
|
| Two definitions – the Dutch royal house and a river in South Africa | ||
| 26 | RELATION |
Fixed allowance to maintain the Spanish cousin perhaps (8)
|
| RATION (fixed allowance) containing (to maintain) EL (‘the’ [in] Spanish) | ||
| 28 | ROY KEANE |
* Soldiers coming back with rebellious Yankee (3,5)
|
| OR (other ranks = soldiers) reversed (coming back) with an anagram (rebellious) of YANKEE
Irish footballer who played most of his career for Manchester United and is now a TV pundit. |
||
| 29 | VASSAL |
Subject of autonomy originally embraced by angry Slavs (6)
|
| First letter (originally) of Autonomy inserted in (embraced by) an anagram (angry) of SLAVS | ||
| 30 | MONAGHAN |
* Grumble about horse getting hot (8)
|
| MOAN (grumble) ‘about’ NAG (horse) + H (hot)
Town in County Monaghan, Ireland. |
||
| 31 | ROONEY |
* Bitterly regret talking with French martial (6)
|
| Sounds like (talking) ‘RUE’ (bitterly regret) + NEY (Michel Ney, French martial)
Sally Rooney, Irish novelist, best known as author of Normal People and Conversations With Friends. |
||
| DOWN | ||
| 1 | LIMERICK |
* Trap with cunning plan? Not at first (8)
|
| LIME (sticky substance used to trap birds) + [t]RICK (cunning plan) less the first letter
City in County Limerick in Ireland. |
||
| 2 | DE VALERA |
* Reveal criminal taken in by lawyer (2,6)
|
| Anagram (criminal) of REVEAL insterted in (taken in by) DA (lawyer)
Éamon de Valera, 1882-1975, American-born Irish revolutionary soldier, one of the leaders of the Easter Rising in 1916 and later President and Taoiseach of Ireland. |
||
| 3 | EXEMPT |
Former European politician Dankert’s final excuse (6)
|
| EX (former) + E (European) + MP (politician) + dankerT’s final [letter]
Presume the Dankert referred to in the clue is former Dutch politician Piet Dankert. |
||
| 5 | NAAS |
* North America for instance (4)
|
| N (north) + A (Ameria) + AS (for instance)
Largest town in County Kildare in Ireland. |
||
| 6 | HEADLAND |
Leader to go ashore in a cape (8)
|
| HEAD (leader) + LAND (to go ashore) | ||
| 7 | ARKLOW |
* Boat having little value (6)
|
| ARK (boat) + LOW (having little value)
Town in County Wicklow in Ireland. |
||
| 8 | YARNED |
Refuse to give up without resistance after American told a rambling tale (6)
|
| DENY (refuse) reversed (to give up) containing (without) R (resistance) after A (American) | ||
| 11 | FARRELL |
* Decline to house republican soldiers (7)
|
| FALL (decline) containing (to house) R (Republican) + RE (Royal Engineers = soldiers)
JG Farrell, 1935-79, English-born Irish novelist, who won the ‘Lost’ Booker prize for 1970 (retrospectively awarded in 2010) for his novel Troubles. If you haven’t read it, you absolutely must – it’s a brilliant, darkly comic novel set in a grand hotel in Ireland around the time of the Irish War of Independence. He also won the Booker in 1973 for The Siege of Krishnapur, which is also superb. |
||
| 14 | BLUNDER |
Mismanagement making WWI poet not entirely right (7)
|
| BLUNDE[n] (Edmund Blunden, WWI poet) less the last letter (not entirely) + R (right) | ||
| 17 | RONGGENG |
Judging in error wife dismissed information on German dance (8)
|
| [w]RONG (judging in error) less W (‘wife’ dismissed) + GEN (information) + G (German)
An ancient Javanese dance for couples. |
||
| 18 | ROBINSON |
* Being carried by birds at first (8)
|
| ON (being carried by) with ROBINS (birds) ‘at first’
Mary Robinson, first female president of Ireland. |
||
| 19 | CONNOLLY |
* Shy about refusal received by new students (8)
|
| COY (shy) ‘about’ NO (refusal) inserted in (received by) N (new) + LL (L = learner = student)
The main railway station in Dublin, Ireland. [Edit: the station is, of course, named after Irish revolutionary James Connolly, executed in 1916 for his role in the Easter Rising.] |
||
| 22 | POGROM |
A short time before rule the Republican party overturned leads to massacre (6)
|
| MO (a short time) + R (rule) + GOP (the Republican party) all reversed (overturned) | ||
| 23 | CANYON |
Gorge on sweets from the US daughter left earlier (6)
|
| ON from the clue, with CAN[d]Y (sweets from the US) less D (‘daughter’ left) ‘earlier’ | ||
| 24 | NAVAJO |
Vote against interrupted by island uprising of Native American people (6)
|
| NO (vote against) containing (interrupted by) JAVA (island) reversed (uprising) | ||
| 27 | ENYA |
* Essential to stay nearby on the way up (4)
|
| Hidden in (essential to) stAY NEarby, reversed (on the way up)
Eithne Pádraigín Ní Bhraonáin, Irish singer, known by her stage name Enya, who came to fame as a member of folk band Clannad before going on to become Ireland’s best-selling solo artist ever. |
Thanks Peto and Widdersbel
With all the special themed clues I thought this would be a real slow start – luckily de Valera jumped out straight away. Couple of NHOs but well enough clued to figure out.
I had Connolly as James the Revolutionary rather than the station (don’t know if named after him)
Btw. 9a has ie – that is included in Mos too
Yes, you’re right – Wikipedia tells me it was renamed after him to mark the 50th anniversary of the Easter Rising. I knew the station already so didn’t think beyond that!
Very nice. Though I share your admiration for J.G. Farrell, I think the actor Colin may be more genuinely Irish. Thanks for the short notice blog.
Thanks Peto and Widdersbel.
Lovely puzzle. Detailed and informative blog. So much to learn.
ROONEY
I worked it out from the wordplay and some crossers. Then Googled…
(Wayne ROONEY came to mind).
Liked ROLE-PLAY, YARNED and CANYON.
Petert – You may be right. I went for the first one that came to mind but Colin is also noteworthy. In Bruges and Banshees of Inisherin are great films and have a strong Irish connection too.
Excellent blog, Widdersbel, and excellent puzzle, Peto, with an impressive number of thematic references. Yes, I’d agree the FARRELL reference is probably to actor Colin. MONAGHAN and LIMERICK, I’d say, might simply refer to those two counties, with no need to go any deeper than that.
I would’nt’ve thunk it – never in a month of five Saturdays – so all credit to
Richard Laybourne@78. on September 4, 2020 at 9:49 pm, in the blog of Guardian Cryptic 28230 by Shed:
“I had never noticed that Leo VARADKAR’s surname was an anagram of AARDVARK until it jumped out at me today when I was tussling with 26.” …
… and kenmac/Admin, on November 2, 2023 at 4ish pm in his blog of Financial Times 17,564 by AARDVARK:
“Thanks to AARDVARK – incidentally an anagram of the Prime Minister (Taoiseach) of my country of residence – Leo VARADKAR.”
As a comics fan, I watched the first episode of the new series The Penguin, without knowing anything about it.
Saw an unknown actor PLAYing the lead ROLE. Not till the end credits did I discover it was famous !rish MOVIE[s] star Colin 11d.
Remember the pre-1966 station names – Amiens Street (Connolly) and Westland Row (Pearse – also the name of my uncle. born 1916, and named after Pádraig,)
In 3d EXEMPT Dankert might be Bastian ‘… known for being the VAR[adkar] … in the 2024 UEFA semi-final. …
and an example of how bad [aard]VAR[k]’s have ruined the sport. — [Also surprised 25a ORANGE wasn’t a themer.]
Loved the puzzle. Thanks P&W