Events from the 6th century in Ireland.

500s

;506 * 23 March - Death of Bishop Mac Cairthinn of Clogher.List of Published Texts at CELT
— University College Cork's ''Corpus of Electronic Texts'' project has the full list of Irish Annals. ;507 * Death of Lugaid mac Lóegairi,

High King of Ireland High King of Ireland ( ga, Ardrí na hÉireann ) was a royal title in Gaelic Ireland held by those who had, or who are claimed to have had, lordship over all of Ireland. The title was held by historical kings and later sometimes assigned ana ...

. * 3 September - Death of St. Mac Nisi, Bishop of Connor (according to some sources, see 509 below). ;509 * 3 September - Death of St. Mac Nisi, Bishop of Connor (according to some sources; see 507 above).

510s

;512 * 29 June - A

solar eclipse A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, thereby obscuring the view of the Sun from a small part of the Earth, totally or partially. Such an alignment occurs during an eclipse season, approximately every six month ...

is recorded. * 2 November - Death of Bishop Erc of Slane (according to some sources; see 513 below). ;513 * 2 November - Death of Bishop Erc of Slane (according to some sources; see 512 above). ;515 * Birth of Abbot Cainnech of Aghaboe at Glengiven near

Dungiven Dungiven () is a small town, townland and civil parish in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It is near the main A6 Belfast to Derry road, which bypasses the town. It lies where the rivers Roe, Owenreagh and Owenbeg meet at the foot of the B ...

in Ulster (according to some sources; see 516 below). ;516 * Battle of Druim Derge in Leinster; the Laigin finally lose the

Irish Midlands The Midland Region (coded IE063) is a NUTS Level III statistical region of Ireland. It consists of the territory of the counties of Laois, Offaly, Westmeath and Longford. The Midland Region spans 6,524 km2, 9.5% of the total area of the st ...

to the Uí Néill. * Birth of Bishop Ciarán of Clonmacnoise ("Ciarán the Younger"), one of the Twelve Apostles of Ireland. * Birth of Abbot Cainnech of Aghaboe at Glengiven near

in Ulster (according to some sources; see 515 above). ;517–518 * 6 July - Death of St. Moninne (Darercae) at the convent she established at

Killeavy Killeen"Killeen" is the official name of the townland. or Killean () is a small village and townland in the civil parish of Killeavy, County Armagh, Northern Ireland. It lies about four miles (6.5 km) south of Newry, near the border with Co ...

(year varies according to sources).

520s

;520 * Monastery founded in Ballyleague by St. Faithleach of Clontuskert (brother of Brendan). * Clonard Abbey in modern County Meath founded by St. Finnian of Clonard. *3 May - Death of Conleth, Bishop of Kildare (in

516 Year 516 ( DXVI) was a leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Petrus without colleague (or, less frequently, year 1269 '' Ab urbe co ...

according to some sources). *(approximate year) - Clane Friary founded by Ailbe of Emly ;521 *7 December - Birth of

Columba Columba or Colmcille; gd, Calum Cille; gv, Colum Keeilley; non, Kolban or at least partly reinterpreted as (7 December 521 – 9 June 597 AD) was an Irish abbot and missionary evangelist credited with spreading Christianity in what is toda ...

(Colm Cille or Columcille) in Gartan, missionary monk (died

597 __NOTOC__ Year 597 ( DXCVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. The denomination 597 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era ...

). *7 December - Death of St. Búite of Monasterboice. ;522 * Death of Eochaid mac Óengusa, an Eoganachta king of

Munster Munster ( gle, an Mhumhain or ) is one of the provinces of Ireland, in the south of Ireland. In early Ireland, the Kingdom of Munster was one of the kingdoms of Gaelic Ireland ruled by a "king of over-kings" ( ga, rí ruirech). Following the ...

. His son

Crimthann Srem mac Echado Crimthann Srem mac Echado (died circa 542), also known as Crimthann Feimin, was a King of Munster from the Eoganachta dynasty in the early 6th century. He was the son of Eochaid mac Óengusa (died 522) and grandson of the first Christian king of ...

succeeds him. ;523 * St. Ninnidh made the island of Inishmacsaint (''island of plain Sorrell'') in

Lough Erne Lough Erne ( , ) is the name of two connected lakes in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. It is the second-biggest lake system in Northern Ireland and Ulster, and the fourth biggest in Ireland. The lakes are widened sections of the River Erne, ...

his headquarters around 523. ;523–526 * 1 February - Death of St. Brigit of Kildare (year varies according to sources) (born c.451). ;527 * Death of Illan mac Dúnlainge, King of Leinster. ;527–528 * 12 September or 30 December - Death of Bishop Ailbe of Emly (year varies according to sources; also given as 534 or 542).

530s

;530 * Brendan completes building of monastic cells at Ardfert *Monastic settlements are established on

Lambay Island Lambay Island ( ga, Reachrainn), often simply Lambay, is an island in the Irish Sea off the coast of north County Dublin, Ireland. The largest island off the east coast of Ireland, it is offshore from the headland at Portrane, and is the eas ...

and at

Clonmore, County Carlow Clonmore () is a village in County Carlow, Ireland. It is located 3½ miles south of Hacketstown and 9 miles east of Tullow in the north-east corner of County Carlow. History Clonmore was named after St Mogue (not to be confused with another ...

. *Birth of Dallán Forgaill, Ollamh Érenn, on Magh Slécht. *Birth of Saint Moluag in Dál nAraidi. *Approximate date - Death of St. Enda of Aran. ;531 (or 537) *

Maine mac Cearbhall Maine mac Cearbhall, great grandson of Niall of the Nine Hostages, died 531 or 538. The brother of Diarmait mac Cerbaill, future High King of Ireland. Maine's great grandfather was Niall of the Nine Hostages, making Maine an Ui Neill. Maine's de ...

, 1st King of

Uí Maine U or u, is the twenty-first and sixth-to-last letter and fifth vowel letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''u'' (pro ...

, died 531 or 537. ;534 * 12 September or 30 December - Death of Bishop Ailbe of Emly (year varies according to sources; also given as 527, 528 or 542). ;535 * Possible mega-eruption of Rabual caldera volcano between . * Extreme weather events * 20 August - Death of St.

Mochta Saint Mochta (or Mochtae, Mahew, Mochteus, Maucteus, Mauchteus; died 20 August 535, or A.D. 537), was the last surviving disciple of Saint Patrick. Life Mochta was, like Patrick, a native of Britain. His name is British, and Adomnán's ''Life ...

of Louth (disciple of

St. Patrick ST, St, or St. may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Stanza, in poetry * Suicidal Tendencies, an American heavy metal/hardcore punk band * Star Trek, a science-fiction media franchise * Summa Theologica, a compendium of Catholic philosophy an ...

) (in 537 according to some sources). ;536 * Extreme weather events causes Late Antique Little Ice Age *

Irish Annals A number of Irish annals, of which the earliest was the Chronicle of Ireland, were compiled up to and shortly after the end of the 17th century. Annals were originally a means by which monks determined the yearly chronology of feast days. Over t ...

record famine in Ireland. ;537 * Late Antique Little Ice Age * A plague strikes Britain and Ireland. ;538 * Late Antique Little Ice Age *

records famine in Ireland. * Death of missionary Manchan of Mohill. ;539 * Late Antique Little Ice Age *

records famine in Ireland.

540s

;540 * Birth of

Columbanus Columbanus ( ga, Columbán; 543 – 21 November 615) was an Irish missionary notable for founding a number of monasteries after 590 in the Frankish and Lombard kingdoms, most notably Luxeuil Abbey in present-day France and Bobbio Abbey in pr ...

at Nobber in the

Kingdom of Meath Meath (; Old Irish: ''Mide'' ; spelt ''Mí'' in Modern Irish) was a kingdom in Ireland from the 1st to the 12th century AD. Its name means "middle," denoting its location in the middle of the island. At its greatest extent, it included all of ...

. * Approximate date - The Paschal controversy begins in Ireland. ;542 * 12 September or 30 December - Death of Bishop Ailbe of Emly (year varies according to sources; also given as 527, 528 or 534). ;545 * Monastery founded at Clonmacnoise by St.

Ciarán Ciarán (Irish spelling) or Ciaran (Scottish Gaelic spelling) is a traditionally male given name of Irish origin. It means "little dark one" or "little dark-haired one", produced by appending a diminutive suffix to ''ciar'' ("black", "dark"). ...

. ;546 *

founds

Derry Derry, officially Londonderry (), is the second-largest city in Northern Ireland and the fifth-largest city on the island of Ireland. The name ''Derry'' is an anglicisation of the Old Irish name (modern Irish: ) meaning 'oak grove'. The ...

. * Approximate date - Death of Abbot Ciarán of Clonmacnoise (of yellow fever) (according to some sources - see 556 below). ;549 * Roman Catholic Diocese of Ossory, which still exists, founded. *Death of St. Finnian of Clonard, who founded Clonard Abbey.

550s

;550 * Birth of Bishop Máedóc of Ferns (St. Áedan or Mogue) on Magh Slécht. ;552 * Death of St. Finnian of Clonard, founder of Clonard Abbey. ;556 * Death of Abbot Ciarán of Clonmacnoise (of yellow fever) (according to some sources - see 546 above). ;557 * Death of the probably legendary Colmán Már mac Diarmato, a king of Uisnech in Mide of the Clann Cholmáin.

560s

;563 *

founds a monastery on

Iona Iona (; gd, Ì Chaluim Chille (IPA: �iːˈxaɫ̪ɯimˈçiʎə, sometimes simply ''Ì''; sco, Iona) is a small island in the Inner Hebrides, off the Ross of Mull on the western coast of Scotland. It is mainly known for Iona Abbey, though there ...

off the coast of Scotland. * Brendan founds a monastery at Clonfert.

570s

;570 * Death of Laisrén mac Nad Froích (St. Molaise). ;573 * Death of Abbot Brendan of Birr, one of the Twelve Apostles of Ireland. ;575 * Convention of Druim Ceat, at which agreement is reached between the Uí Néill and the king of Dál Riata maintaining the peace and the balance of power. The poets are said to have been saved from banishment by the intervention of

. * Bishop Muiredach of Killala meets with

in Ballysadare. ;576 * Death of Colmán Már mac Coirpre, King of Leinster. ;577 * Death of Brendan. * Death of Coirpre Cromm mac Crimthainn, King of Munster from the Glendamnach sept of the Eoganachta. He is succeeded by

Fergus Scandal mac Crimthainn Fergus Scandal mac Crimthainn ("Fergus of the Disputes, son of Crimthann"; died AD 582) was a king of Munster from the Eóganacht Airthir Cliach branch of the Eoganachta, the ruling dynasty of Munster. His nickname ''scandal'' means "quarrel, con ...

580s

;584 * The foundation of the University of Tuaim Drecain ( Tomregan) by the Synod of Drumceat on Magh Slécht. ;585 *

Suibne mac Colmáin Suibne mac Colmáin (died 600) was a King of Uisnech in Mide of the Clann Cholmáin. He was the son of Colmán Már mac Diarmato (died 555/558), also King of Uisnech. He ruled Uisnech from 587 to 600. The Marianus Scotus king list names Suibne ma ...

becomes King of Uisnech in Mide of the Clann Cholmáin. He is the son of King Colmán Már mac Diarmato (died

557 __NOTOC__ Year 557 ( DLVII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. The denomination 557 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era ...

) and rules Uisnech until his death in

598 __NOTOC__ Year 598 ( DXCVIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. The denomination 598 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar ...

. ;588 * Áed Dub mac Suibni (died c. 588) was an Irish king of the Cruthin of Dál nAraidi (in modern Ulster). He may have been king of the Ulaid.

590s

;590 *

and twelve companions set sail for France. ;593 * Death of Áed Dibchine mac Senaig King of Leinster from the Uí Máil branch of the Laigin, the first king of this branch to hold the overlordship of Leinster. ;595 *Death of Saint Berach of Termonbarry ;597 * 9 June - Death of

, missionary monk, on

(born 521). ;598 * Monastery established in Ferns, County Wexford, dedicated to Bishop Máedóc of Ferns (St. Áedan or Mogue). *

, King of Uisnech in Mide of the Clann Cholmáin, is killed by his uncle Áed Sláine. ;599–600 * Death of St.

Cainnech Cainnech of Aghaboe (515/16–600), also known as Saint Canice in Ireland, Saint Kenneth in Scotland, Saint Kenny and in Latin Sanctus Canicus, was an Irish abbot, monastic founder, priest and missionary during the early medieval period. Cainne ...

at the abbey he founded at Aghaboe. His feast day is commemorated on 11 October in the Roman Catholic Church (
Catholic Online
') and on the 1 August or 14 August in the Eastern Orthodox Church.

600s

;600 *Death of Uatu mac Áedo a king of Connacht from the Uí Briúin branch of the

Connachta The Connachta are a group of medieval Irish dynasties who claimed descent from the legendary High King Conn Cétchathach (Conn of the Hundred Battles). The modern western province of Connacht (Irish ''Cúige Chonnacht'', province, literally "f ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:6th Century In Ireland