Carthage the Elder was a sixth-century Irish bishop and abbot who belonged to the Eóganacht Chaisil lineage. A disciple of Ciaran of Saighir, he served as a mentor and fosterer to the later Saint Carthage of Lismore. Following a seven-year penitential pilgrimage through Rome and Gaul, he returned to the religious community at Saighir. His leadership in the early Irish church included establishing monastic sites such as Druim Fertain and a monastery located on the upper island of Lough Sheelin.