Just in passing, as Ireland's getting mentioned. About 4 years ago I helped Dublin Institute of Technology set up their first Aero-Eng degree (actually "aviation technology", which is jointly run with the Irish Air Corps. When I was last there, it was all pointing in a pretty sensible direction.
They just invited me back next year to see how they're doing. If they've done as good a job as they looked likely to, that may be worth casting a glance at.
Dublin Institute of Technology - DT011 Aviation Technology