The concertina music of Tim Collins draws on a rich tapestry of cultural history from his iconic homeland in Sliabh Luachra, a region of astonishing natural beauty that straddles west Limerick, north Kerry and northwest Cork. Birthplace of poetic luminaries like Aogán Ó Rathaille and Tadhg Gaelach Ó Súilleabháin, as well as fiddle masters, Pádraig O'Keeffe and Denis Murphy, Sliabh Luachra is also a storehouse of Irish concertina music.

Tim's formal introduction to music began at the age of 10 when his parents bought him a 'black dot' Hohner accordion in O'Neill's in Newcastle West. He and his brother John picked up tunes by ear from their father before attending Celia Regan's music lessons in the old hall in Templeglantine. Three years later, Con Herbert, a family friend from Killeedy, who had learned music from Collins' granduncle Tadhg, introduced Tim to the concertina. Herbert, a highly respected musician and teacher, trusted the thirteen-year-old with a 28 key rosewood ended Jeffries to practice on. Within a year, Herbert found a 38 key metal ended Jeffries that put Tim firmly on the road to concertina music. Herbert also loaned his young charge two key recordings of Irish concertina music, The Flowing Tide by Chris Droney and Irish Traditional Concertina Styles, a compilation released by Topic in 1977 that featured several legendary players; among them, Tom Carey, Solus Lillis and Paddy Murphy. Both discs had a seminal impact on Collins' style and repertoire.

Collins has devoted considerable attention to learning and preserving the slides and polkas of Sliabh Luachra and regards teaching and the 'passing on' of the tradition as an integral part of his own musical journey. Critics regard his concertina music as tastefully ornamental and rhythmic, with a focus on older concertina and piping techniques. His deep appreciation of the music and its origins is evident in his interpretation of that same music.