Cryptic Clue

[crosswordfan]

Don't give quarter on this order! (15)

?A?E?O?R?S?N?R?

[Quizmonster]

Take no prisoners. Saying 15 was a bit confusing!

[crofter]

Well spotted Quizmonster. The (15) threw me for one!

[shammydodger]

I'll say. Well done Quizmonster!

[bdol4886346]

I agree I`ve been sat here trying to work out a one word answer!

[crosswordfan]

Thanks for that - brilliant. I was going through book of 15 letter words with no success.Also I was looking up religious orders! (15) was what was actually given with the clue.

[Quizmonster]

Where was this crossword, then, Crosswordfan? Were there similar clues along with it? I don't believe I have ever seen such an approach before.
A stroke of luck, I suppose, but I just suddenly "saw" it, having decided that the letterpattern looked a most improbable basis for a single word. Thanks for the kind comments, though.

[Quizmonster]

Speaking of unlikely letter-patterns, how about letterpattern above? Missed out the hyphen. What a plonker!

[crosswordfan]

Quizmonster,

This is a weekly crossword in the RTE Guide (Irish television) and it usually has a 15 letter word across the middle - they just "slipped up" this week obviously. Because of this I presumed it was one word again. They are notorious too for having anagrams with the wrong letters printed..... but I win it about 3 times a year so I'm not complaining!

[Quizmonster]

Is one allowed any longer to say: "Sounds Irish to me."