Biography
Carthage the Elder
About Carthage the Elder
Carthage the Elder belongs to the early Irish tradition associated with Ciarán of Saigir. Later accounts remember him as Ciarán’s pupil and eventual successor.
He must be distinguished from Carthage the Younger, the founder of Lismore, who is described as his pupil. Confusion among people named Carthach also affected stories about his family.
His death is placed around 540, although another tradition gives about 580. No separate biography of him survives.
Later writers assembled his story chiefly from the lives of Ciarán and Carthage the Younger. Those dependent narratives offer a limited basis for reconstructing his own life.
Wondering how to weigh the stories and sources? Learn how to read a saint biography.