Hi appleACE,
I'm in exactly the same shoes as yourself (finished training recently, looking for a ground support role to gain experience while waiting for my pilot applications to be processed). I was also out of the country for more than six months, and will also need to get a criminal records check if I'm to get my airside pass.
I found the following document that I think should prove useful:
http://www.cpni.gov.uk/documents/pub...language=en-gb
I was abroad in Spain, and while it's a hassle, it doesn't appear to cost too much to go through the process, and shouldn't take too long. Just look up the country you need on page three of the document. It is dated from April 2014, so bear in mind that some country's procedures may have changed.
Good luck!