Composed by the blind Irish harper Turlough O’Carolan (1670–1738), “Loftus Jones” is one of his later works. Donal O’Sullivan, in his 1958 biography and collection of O’Carolan’s music, identifies Loftus Jones as the son of Thomas and Susanna Jones of Ardnaglass, County Sligo. Based on available records, O’Sullivan suggests that the tune was likely composed toward the end of O’Carolan’s life, as Loftus would have been a young man at the time of the bard’s death in 1738. Historical accounts note that Loftus Jones married Jane Henry—the daughter of a wealthy Dublin banker—in 1740, just two years after O’Carolan’s passing. Jane later died in Italy around 1754, while Loftus lived on until 1781. The tune experienced a revival in popularity during the late 1970s, particularly following a widely admired recording by the group The Irish Tradition, which helped bring O’Carolan’s music to a broader audience through traditional music sessions.