given Aer Arann's previous experience with Ryanair they may not want to get them to react
Well I certainly would have thought that both EDI and MAN would have worked for Ryanair as both have very large passenger pools from Northern Ireland but following Ryanair's departure from MAN that would have left only EDI. I still think a Ryanair EDI route is on the cards at some stage though what would be the point given that PIK, which supplanted a 30 year GLA route, is not even daily.
But as to BRS, Ryanair had tried that and it was not to their liking so I would have thought that Aer Arann would be safe enough to have more agressively expanded from LDY. The only other possible domestic routes apart from EDI, MAN and what they currently operate from LDY that would interest Ryanair are LBA and EMA (even though they closed that route when opening BHX) leaving NCL, LGW, LHR etc for the taking.