St. Carthage (Carthach) the Elder
Feast on March 5
St. Carthage was an Irish bishop and abbot of the 6th century. He was the successor of St. Kieman of Ossory. He was the son or grandson of a local king.
The saint is mainly known as a disciple and successor of Ciaran of Saighir (the Elder) and the tutor and fosterer of his namesake, Saint Carthage of Lismore (also known as Saint Mochuda). He later founded the monastery of Druim Fertain and another monastery in the upper island of Lough Sheelin, County Meath.
In the barony of Clanmaurice is a town called Monument on which are some scant remains of an ancient church called Cill Cartaig (Carthage’s Church).
References
- ^ Bethada Náem nÉrenn (Lives of Irish Saints). Charles Plummer (ed), Richard Irvine Best (ed), Second edition, in that the text is reprinted from the corrected sheets of the first edition [vol. 1: xliv + 346 pp; vol. 2: 484pp] Clarendon Press Oxford (1922) (repr. 1968). Found online through UCC CELT, here: http://www.ucc.ie/celt/published/T201000F/index.html
- “Carthach (d.580?)” . Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.
