Two-speed coffeebreak

Two sets of clues – but the answers are the same.

Cryptic clues ACROSS

3 Shoe for a coach (7)

7 Jacket worn in dance (6) 8 The seat of an empire (7) 9 Muse about creatures (4) 11 Show contempt for skewer (4)

12 Crane made of shell material (5)

15 Mate escaping with pegs (4) 16 Stretched when instructed, say (4)

17 Listeners have new merits (5)

18 Study time of damage (4) 19 Thus get attorney a drink (4)

21 Lot more about variation in pitch (7)

22 Speaker finds gold by a hill (6)

23 Rector greets assembly and feels remorse (7)

DOWN

1 Honour your leader and submit (4)

2 Mole in railway carriage (7) 3 Swimmer’s new tutor (5) 4 Goes off to sort out (4) 5 Single ladies to dance (8) 6 Tenner spent on cheese ingredient (6)

10 Set on simmer — that’s not the right word (8)

11 Lose argument about the Baltic, say (3) 13 Actors get a point at a game (7)

14 Truth about groove (3) 15 Sample trial with hesitation (6)

18 1960s group making entrances (5)

19 Lots thrown into hole (4) 20 Left some wine (4) Solutions in tomorrow’s Irish Mirror

Quick clues ACROSS

3 Instructor (7) 7 Spanish dance (6) 8 Cushioned footstool (7) 9 Flightless birds (4) 11 Roasting rod (4) 12 Mother-of-pearl (5) 15 Golf supports (4) 16 Tight (4)

17 Deserves (5) 18 Hollow (4) 19 Sparkling water (4)

21 Musical embellishment (7) 22 Public speaker (6) 23 Rues (7)

DOWN

1 Comply (4)

2 Train carriage with beds (7) 3 Food fish (5) 4 Decays (4) 5 Separate (8) 6 Curdling agent (6)

10 Wrong name (8) 11 Body of water (3) 13 Card game (7) 14 Furrow (3) 15 Sample (6) 18 Portals (5) 19 Opening (4) 20 Harbour (4)

Solutions in tomorrow’s Irish Mirror