So while Ryanair might not have been the first low cost airline to serve the North, if it wasn't for them no low cost airline would be serving the North. No matter how much you hate Ryanair, you can't deny that if it wasn't for them, we'd still be being ripped off by high fare, full service carriers. Ryanair has forced other airlines to reduce their costs and their fares
I would say Britannia started one of the first 'low cost' models out of Northern Ireland in '1989' - while FR was still in nappies.