Keith, if you have received positive PM's, establish very carefully the credentials of those offering advice. For example a quick search of previous posts should provide valuable pointers. There are plenty of management stooges masquerading as "ordinary line-pilots" on this site and their advice would be less than worthless. As a rule, the more optimistic a poster about ryanair, the more likely is to be lies. This is not what you want to hear, but it is a fact.
Another thing to remember, if you are quoted salary figures from those that have gone before, remember that what was available in the past is not available to you. Remember that salaries are reduced every year across the board. Remember also that contracts will not be honoured and what you will be promised at interview will not materialise, particularly once they know you have resigned from EK and they know they have you over a barrel.
EK is full of ex-fr crew, surely a word with some of them would be in order. Or is it that you have talked to them and don't like the universally negative reaction? If you're searching desperately for someone to tell you what you want to hear, there are plenty of lackies and running dogs here who will tell you exactly that, unfortunately if you base your decisions on it, you will start to regret it just as you can't back out.