He was elected a Fellow there in 1884, and was later a member of the council of the university, where he held the office of King's Lecturer of Divinity from 1888 to 1902.

[1] He was appointed treasurer of St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin, by the Dean Henry Jellett in 1897.

[2] On Jellett's death, in December 1901, Bernard became a favorite to succeed him as Dean, a position to which he was elected by the chapter of the cathedral 6 February 1902.

[citation needed] A prolific scholar, in many fields, including Church history, theology and philosophy, he was the president of the Royal Irish Academy from 1916 to 1921 and Provost of Trinity College Dublin from 1919 to 1927.

In April 1915 his son, Lieutenant Robert Bernard of the 1st Battalion of the Royal Dublin Fusiliers was killed in action during the Gallipoli Campaign.