Cryptic crossword clue
Pious type, one with seat in Ireland, unified states once 4,5,6

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 4 plus 5 plus 6 letter word HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE

I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
H
O
L
Y
R
O
M
A
N
E
M
P
I
R
E

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "unified states once" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case unified states once = holy roman empire.
The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.
This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.

Crossword Answer definitions

Latest crossword clues with full explanations