In the 70’s he was manager of a highly regarded Punk Rock group who played out of Kilkenny. This group was called “The Products” and played a number of support gigs to the Horslips when they toured the south east of Ireland. His work with “The Products” resulted in a life long friendship with accomplished musician Michael McDonnell. Mick found Kilkenny lacking in challenge (he was often heard to comment “Excitement doesn’t happen, you have to create it. It’s just more difficult to do this in Kilkenny.”) went on from “The Products” to become a leading figure in the folk scene in northern France. Bernard and Michael have continued to co-operate over the years and Michael McDonnell is currently recording one of Bernard’s songs under license “Rich Man Blues”. This will be released sometime in 2008.

Bernard co-recorded with well known Italian guitarist Roberto Menabo on a number of occasions. A native of Bologna Roberto (for more information see http://www.robertomenabo.it/ ) is a versatile guitarist. On his first visit to Ireland as a guest of Bernard he was surprised by the affluence of Dublin compared to his home town and was moved to pen a number of blues tunes on this subject. Starting in 1981 Roberto and Bernard recorded a number of sessions which were subsequently aired on Radio Turin Alternato in Italy. Bernard was also a featured artist on Roberto’s widely acclaimed CD “Laughing the Blues”

A fellow teacher Mick Sheridan is an accomplished guitarist and has accompanied Bernard on many of his recordings. A technically superior musician he provides the harmonies and sophistication to Bernard’s raw chord based compositions.

Bernard has played hundreds of venues from the large (such as the Ed Burke theatre in Trinity College Dublin) to the small and intimate (such as the Purty Kitchen in Dun Laoghaire). He has also played in small music venues and bars in France, Italy, Spain, Greece and Australia.