Wow.. 6 years later! If any of you are still on pprune, thank you for your advice. I ended up completing my degree and working in software for the last 5 years! I tried for the BA Future Pilot Programme 2 years after posting this, back in 2015, but was not successful. I tried for AerLingus' program in 2016 but again was not successful. I pretty much gave up after that... until now. I'm just not happy working in an office, or anywhere other than an aircraft cockpit. Yesterday I applied to AerLingus' programme 3 years after the first time. Hopefully I'll make it to the assessment days again, and this time succeed. I'm 26 in 4 days, so it feels like I'm very close to being too old to make my dream come true. I have to try though, because I fear nothing else will ever make me happy.
I've just posted another thread asking for USA-based EASA PPL advice. If I don't succeed with AerLingus this summer, which is highly likely, then I'm planning to go for my PPL head on, and just go down the modular route, even if it means I reach frozen ATPL status at age 30....