Lee Valley club member Phil Cooney maintains the housing and food stations for the red squirrels at the 6th tee box.
You can spot Phil mainly in the evening looking after their habitat.
The red squirrel is native to Ireland and has been here since at least the end of the last Ice Age.
Typical body size: about 18–20 cm in body length, with a tail of similar length, weight around 300–350 grams in Ireland.
Characteristic features: often reddish coat (though can be brownish/grey in winter), bushy tail, tufts on the ears (especially notable in winter).
Habitat: They live in woodland — coniferous, deciduous, or mixed. They spend much of their time in the tree canopy rather than on the ground.
Diet: Primarily tree seeds (e.g., pine/cone seeds, hazelnuts), buds, fungi, some fruit. They also store food (‘cache’) to use when resources are scarce.
Reproduction: Females may give birth to litters of 1-6 young in spring; young become independent after about 7-10 weeks.
Behaviour: They do not hibernate. In winter they rely on stored food and their nest (drey) for survival.
The red squirrel is protected under Irish law (in the Republic: under the Wildlife Act (1976) and amendment acts).
According to the Vincent Wildlife Trust Ireland, the species is present in every county. It''s population has been recovering in recent years.
In Ireland, they are listed as “Near Threatened” in some regional assessments due to pressures from habitat change and competition.
The biggest threat: the invasive Grey Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis). Grey squirrels compete with reds for food and habitat, and critically the greys carry the squirrel pox virus (SQPV) which is almost always fatal to reds.
Loss or fragmentation of suitable woodland habitat reduces the areas where reds can thrive.
Road traffic, general human disturbance, and changes in forestry practice also affect them.
On the positive side: the recovery of another native species, the Pine Marten, appears to benefit red squirrels because pine martens preferentially prey on the greys, reducing their numbers and thus reducing competition for reds.
In Ireland, woodland sites (especially with conifers or mixed woods) are good. For example, in the east and south-east they are rarer (due to grey squirrel competition) and stronger in the west.
When you’re looking: look up into the tree canopy (they’re often in the trees), listen for a “chuk-chuk” call, spot pine cones stripped of scales (a sign they’ve been feeding) or a drey (nest) in the tree fork.
Example good spots: according to Ulster Wildlife for Northern Ireland, places like “Glenarm Estate”, “Kilbroney Forest Park” etc are reliable for sightings.
If you’re trying to spot one: go quietly into a woodland with suitable trees (especially conifers or mixed), early in the morning when they’re active, and stay still/low-key.
Avoid feeding them wild nuts/peanuts in public feeders indiscriminately — it can cause dependency and spread disease.
If you’re on a property/golf club/wooded estate (like where you mentioned earlier), you could:
Maintain or plant a mix of trees (especially conifers, hazel, spruce, pine) that provide food.
Make sure there are good continuous tree canopies so squirrels can move without going on the ground (which increases risk).
Monitor for grey squirrels & try to discourage them (if regulations allow) because they strongly impact reds.
Record sightings and report them to the National Biodiversity Data Centre via their “Urban Squirrel Survey".
