"In the Name of the Grandfather" was the first episode written by Matt Marshall who had previously worked on the show as a writers' assistant. In 2007, he pitched the idea of Grampa being neglected and the Simpsons taking him to Ireland. The script was ready for a table read in late 2007, but the Writers Guild of America strike delayed work on the episode. Executive producer Al Jean said the episode is intended to be "an affectionate love letter to Ireland" because many of the writers have Irish roots. He added, "The episode is based on the experiences of myself and a lot of the writers on "The Simpsons" who have Irish ancestry and come back to visit to find it very different, much more hi-tech." According to James L. Brooks, the story was also inspired by a "New York Times" article about the effects of the smoking ban in Ireland on pubs.