Kythnos Agia Irini

General information

The village of Agia Irini is situated 6 km from Chora and close to the popular resort of Loutra. It has a quaint marina where fishing boats usually moor and the area is overall tranquil. A few meters from the settlement, following the road towards Loutra, one will also find the sandy Agia Irini Beach.

A religious festival dedicated to the memory of Agia Irini (Saint Irene), who is also the patron saint of the village, takes place every year on May 5th.

The village also has some historical value for the modern Greek state. More specifically, a battle took place there on February 28th and March 1st, 1862. Two officers, Nikolaos Leotsakos and Periklis Moraitinis, and a university student, Agamemnon Skarvelis, lost their lives during an outbreak against King Otto. Their deaths and the harsh government measures taken against the survivors inflamed Athenian public opinion in favor of the mutineers, who were then honored in popular revolutionary songs.
Nowadays, three marble plaques (cenotaphs) stand behind the church of Agia Irini to commemorate the battle and honor the fighters.