House Of The Dragon Season 3's Don 'Bop' Monahan Tribute Explained

The third season of "House of the Dragon" concluded with an epic battle and a major character death, but the end credits featured a card stating that the episode was "in loving memory" of Don "Bop" Monahan. It's not uncommon for shows to dedicate episodes to members of the cast or crew who have died, but in this case, the deceased wasn't directly involved in making the "Game of Thrones" spin-off. He did have a connection to the HBO series, however, as Monahan was the father-in-law of showrunner Ryan Condal.

Monahan, who was born on September 7, 1951, died of pancreatic cancer earlier this summer on July 1, 2026, according to his obituary. His passing was peaceful, the obit states, and he was surrounded by his family. He is survived by his wife, Suzanne Hennessey, and his two daughters, Caitlin and Ceire Hennessey Monahan. Caitlin married Condal, the co-creator of "House of the Dragon," in 2012.

Monahan has four grandchildren, which is where he got his nickname of "Grandfather Bop," as seen in the in memoriam card in "House of the Dragon." The obituary notes that Monahan had a "love of all things Irish" and took the family on a trip to Dublin before his death. While "House of the Dragon" films throughout the British Isles, none of the show is shot in Ireland, unlike a lot of "Game of Thrones."

The Season 3 finale of "House of the Dragon," titled "The Treasons at Tumbleton," is not the first time an episode in the "Game of Thrones" franchise has ended with an in memoriam credit. "Game of Thrones" Season 1, Episode 8, "The Pointy End," is dedicated to Ralph Vicinanza, a producer on the show and one of George R.R. Martin's literary agents who played a big part in making the television adaptation happen, having brought the books to the "GoT" showrunners, David Benioff and D.B. Weiss. He also led negotiations with HBO as it was being developed. Vicinanza died shortly after the series was greenlit. "It saddens me to think that he will never get to see it," Martin wrote on his blog at the time.

Other dedications include "Games of Thrones" Episode 3 being in memory of Margaret John, the actress who played Old Nan. John died before the series premiered. Martin Kenzie, a cinematographer who worked on the "Game of Thrones" episodes "Blackwater" and "Valar Morghulis," had the season three premiere, "Valar Dohaeris," dedicated to him. More recently, "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms" Episode 2 paid tribute to writer Aziza Barnes.