Same thing happened to me. Passed all exams back in 2008, but didn't get an IR after that. Now I'm doing the ATPL theory module for the second time.
You will notice that the exams have changed a lot. Today, honest studying is not enough to pass the exams as it was before EASA. You will need to memorize regulation wording and figures with ridiculous detail. You'll find enough trick questions in each exam to make this a very important factor.
The knowledge that helped you pass your exams easily back in the day, won't really guarantee success this time, because of the way the new questions are designed. You WILL need a question bank, such as AviationExam or EATPL. The new exams make you feel like you don't know anything, only because you don't remember the exact wording of some regulation or because you didn't memorize some obscure figure related to the design of airport lighting.
Good luck