What does the cryptic crossword clue "Threesome laid into Irishman, defender of country's honour (7)" mean?

The definition is "defender of country’s honour". The wordplay uses a container (one word inside another). TRIO (synonym="”Threesome” in PAT=”Irishman”") in PAT (synonym="”Irishman”") = PATRIOT; definition: "defender of country's honour" The answer is PATRIOT.

Threesome laid into Irishman, defender of country's honour (7)

Guardian Cryptic #29114 | 24 Across | 2023-07-05 flower

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