Although I am very sad for the lady involved, when will the penny drop with pax that Ryanair a cheap airline because they offer a standardized product that is rigid?

Flexibility is expensive to provide and Ryanair are the most cost driven company I have ever encountered, so pax must either work within the framework or not travel.

When one books a ticket via the Ryanair website, one accepts the terms and conditions and a contract is formed.

If the passenger does not bring an accepted form of ID, then that is a material breach of contract and the airline has no obligation to carry.

I'm no fan of Ryanair, but it does seem to me that they apply their rules in a non-discriminatory manner - i.e. equally to all.

Having said that, I have parents in their 70s and there is no way I would let them near Ryanair, I'd send to Bealine instead, where I'd have more confidence in allowances being made for lack of familiarity with air travel.
True, but then Ryanair are hardly in a position of dominant party with all that competition out there;) and consumer law is built on the principle of caveat emptor. BA do ask for an executive club card or a credit card to provide ID and Ryanair don't ask for this, so I think a case on this basis would struggle to win.

2 comments here.

First, the requirements are NOT clear.

This can be read 2 ways. First, as intended, it requires a photo driving license. Second, it equally means a non-photo driving license with a separate photo of the traveller. Ok, you won't get away with it as indicated earlier, but I believe that that person complied with the conditions !!

Also, the photo requirements are near the end. They should be FIRST.

Secondly, I expect that conditions are deliberately tough to make life easier for check-in, but also, they expect a few to fail for each flight with no refund (ID or time), allowing overbooking with less risk.