In Ireland, there are two species of squirrel, the red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) and the grey squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis). The red squirrel is Ireland's native squirrel but has undergone a widespread decline in numbers since the introduction of the grey squirrel at Castleforbes, Co. Longford in 1911. The grey squirrel is native to the broadleaved forests of the eastern United States and Canada. It has become well established in many areas of Ireland, outcompeting the red squirrels for resources in woodlands. Where both species of squirrel reside, the grey will eventually cause the decline and/or displacement of the red squirrel population in most woodland habitats.

Figure one shows the distribution of both species of squirrel (Carey et al., 2007). Although red squirrel populations are still fairly widespread, they have disappeared from areas in which the grey squirrel has been longest established i.e. parts of the midlands. The grey squirrels have invaded many areas of the east and north and are continuing to spread further into the south of Ireland. However, they have not yet reached wooded regions of the west and far southwest, due to natural barriers (such as the river Shannon). Conservation plans to protect these regions are an important tool in the conservation of the native squirrel.

Long-term conservation strategies are now either being considered or applied to protect the native red squirrel from further decline or even disappearance from Ireland. One such strategy is the translocation of red squirrels to woodlands previously uninhabited by either species in areas unlikely to be reached by the grey squirrel. Translocation is the intentional release of animals to the wild in an attempt to establish, re-establish or augment a population (Griffith et al., 1989). Pilot studies have been set up to investigate the use of translocation in the conservation of red squirrels in Ireland, and a more concentrated programme of translocations may be rolled out depending upon the results of the initial test studies. In 2005, the first translocation was undertaken in Derryclare, Connemara, Co Galway. Nineteen individuals were moved from Portumna Forest Park, Co Galway (Poole, A. & Lawton, C., 2009). The second translocation occurred between 2007-2008 at Belleek Forest Park, Ballina, Co. Mayo. Fifteen red squirrels were moved from Lough Key Forest Park, Co. Roscommon and Union Wood, Co. Sligo. Both translocations have proved to be successful as populations are breeding and dispersed throughout each woodland. Source woodlands have been shown to hold up well to the loss of donor animals, who are quickly replaced during the following breeding season. Each target woodland is now undergoing post-release monitoring under licence from the National Parks and Wildlife Service, with the long term success of the populations being vital to the future of this conservation strategy.