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I think the difference is simply word order as in English: ''he was a big man or 'a big man he was' and I think maybe you should have 'b'fhear mór é' as the first option and 'fear mór ab ea é' as the second option. Wait for much, much more learned opinion than me!
"Ab" and "ba" both are relatives forms ("ba" is also the "normal" form).
if you use "ab" in "fear mór ab ea é", it's because "ea" begins with a vowel.
As Mick said, it's the next sound that makes you use the relatives ab or ba.
An bhean ab áille
An bhean ba deise
But when you don't use relatives, you use b' or ba depending on the next sound:
B'álainn an bhean í
Ba deas an bhean í
In Donegal you also use ba dh' before pronouns that begin with a vowel (ba dh'é, ba dh'í, ba dh'iad, ba dh'ea).