Last week, Robert Hurst Sr. was named president of the Irish Memorial. This ex-cop has a long history of activism in the Irish community—and enough adventures to fill a book. He recently talked to irishphiladelphia.com about being Irish, being a cop, and why he once dressed up as a nun on the streets of Philadelphia.

It rained, but only a little bit, early on. After that, it was nothing but sunshine and smooth sailing along the riverfront. See our photos of the event and the first-ever Mass held at the Irish Memorial at Penns Landing.