FORM 6-K
SECURITIES
      AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington,
      D.C. 20549
Report
      of Foreign Private Issuer
Pursuant
      to Rule 13a-16 under
the
      Securities Exchange Act of 1934
For the month ended
      December, 2011
ICON plc
(Registrant's
      name)
0-29714
(Commission file number)
South
      County Business Park, Leopardstown, Dublin 18, Ireland
(Address of
      principal executive offices)
Brendan Brennan, CFO
South County
      Business Park Leopardstown, Dublin 18, Ireland.
Brendan.Brennan@iconplc.com
0011-353-1-291-2000
(Name,
      telephone number, email and/or facsmile number and address of Company
      contact person)
    
      Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual
      reports under cover Form 20-F or Form 40-F.
    
                    Yes___X___                                   No_______
    
      Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K
      in paper as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(1):
    
                    Yes______                                    No___X___
    
      Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K
      in paper as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(7):
    
                    Yes______                                    No___X___
    
      Indicate by check mark whether the registrant by furnishing the
      information contained in this Form is also thereby furnishing the
      information to the Commission pursuant to Rule 12g3-2(b) under the
      Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
    
                    Yes_______                                   No___X___
    
      If "Yes" is marked, indicate below the file number assigned to the
      registrant in connection with Rule 12g3-2(b):82      N/A
    
      EXHIBIT LIST
    
| 
           Exhibit  | 
        
           Description  | 
        ||
| 
           99.1  | 
        
           Icon plc announcement issued December 5, 2011.  | 
      ||
      
    
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
| 
           ICON plc  | 
      ||
| 
           
  | 
      ||
| Date: | 
           December 5, 2011  | 
        
           /s/ Brendan Brennan  | 
      
| 
           Brendan Brennan  | 
      ||
| 
           Chief Financial Officer  | 
      
Exhibit 99.1
ICON plc: Purchase of Own Securities
Further to the announcement on 22 November, 2011 of a share repurchase programme, ICON plc (“the Company”) announces that on 2 December, 2011 it purchased for cancellation 30,000 Ordinary Shares, at an average price of $16.737.
Following the cancellation of these shares, the Company will have 60,338,624 Ordinary Shares in issue.