Personally, I don't hold out too much hope for this animal in the UK away from rigorously maintained pinewood reserves, UNLESS there is a big sustained cull of greys.
I can´t speak for the rest of Ireland, but Howth peninsula is the last stronghold of Red Squirrels in Dublin. (I´ve never seen one though.) Wicklow Mountains would be probably the closest area with some Red Squirrel population. But they are in trouble, the pox virus got here as well :-(
