Cryptic crossword clue
The IRA tied the ends off at the end of the month 9

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word THIRTIETH

I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
T
H
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R
T
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H

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "end of the month" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case end of the month = thirtieth.
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.

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