Young Indiana Jones portrays Sean Lemass as a young, brash idealist. His actions may be a bit brash (he gets in a fight with Jones over his self-centered sister), but he has a strong heart and intelligent mind. He believes strongly in the fight for Irish independence for freedom, no matter the cost. In the 1916 rising he willingly joins the fight with his comrades, against his sister’s will, and is eventually imprisoned for his actions.
As an educational tool, Young Indiana Jones does quite well in portraying the core traits of Sean Lemass, though it does not quite get the details of the event quite right. Lemass was a strong-headed young man, and joined the Irish Volunteers at a younger age than was normally allowed (though Young Indiana Jones made it appear as though he was a part of the Irish Citizens’ Army). Thus Lemass believed strongly in the fight for Irish independence, as his sister brings up so often in the show.
It was both Lemass and his brother, Noel, who fought in the rising. At the time, he was seventeen. Both did not know anything of the event beforehand, as Macniell had cancelled the Parade of Volunteers the day before. This was displayed in the show by Lemass hastily joining the fight almost as soon as he sees the Fenians gathering and running through the streets. However, Young Indiana Jones does get quite a few SOMETHING events wrong, likely due to time constraints as well as those of the station these episodes were aired on (as stated here).
They learned of the rising on their way back to Dublin after a long walk in the mountains from Macniell’s sons (Macniell himself was rather upset about the whole affair).
On the first day of the rising, Lemass and his brother attempted to join the fight, but were prevented from doing so, as the windows of Jacobs factory were boarded up. However, on the second day they were invited in to the General Post Office to join the fight there. Furthermore, Lemass, in his writing in the spring 1966 edition of Studies recounts how he and his comrades were holed up in the yard of a warehouse before their surrender, instead of the G.P.O. as Young Indiana Jones shows.
After being arrested, Lemass was kept in the Richmond Barracks in Inchicore (not in Kilmainham Jail as the show displays) for approximately two weeks, before being set free. Many were not as lucky, and were moved and/or killed. The use of Kilmainham Jail rather than the barracks is likely to show how the leaders of the rising were dealt with. Young Indiana Jones shows their death by firing squad before drawing attention back to Jones and Maggie. To be an historically accurate educational tool, the show needed to include this. The leaders of the 1916 Rising were not treated with mercy, and the focus on the main characters of the episode makes it impractical to switch from an irrelevant jail to another, more relevant to the story.
Lemass remained an active member of the Irish Volunteers, joining the Dublin Brigade of the Resurrected Volunteer force. He fought for Irish independence on multiple more occasions, including the Civil War.
So, why choose Lemass?
Lemass was a prominent political figure throughout older years. He held several political positions, including that of the Minister for Industry and Commerce and Tanaiste and Taoiseach. He was also actively involved in the fight for Irish independence in his youth. As an educational television show, Young Indiana Jones is dedicated to teaching the public about events that occurred in the past. By using actual historical figures, especially those as well known as Lemass was, they are able to portray a more accurate history. There is no need to make up characters and their stories when there are real people that may be drawn upon.
Sources:
“Love’s Sweet Song.” Young Indiana Jones, season 1, episode 7, 11 July, 2000. Amazon, www.amazon.com/The-Perils-of-Cupid/dp/B01BX7LL1U/ref=sr_1_1?s=instant-video&ie=UTF8&qid=1480892770&sr=1-1&keywords=young+indiana+jones. 1 Dec. 2016.