"Little Armalite", "My Little Armalite" or "Me Little Armalite"[1] is an Irish Republican song that praises the Armalite rifle which was used by republican paramilitaries against the British security forces in Northern Ireland.[2]
The song dates from the early 1970s, when the Provisional Irish Republican Army secretly imported modern weaponry, including Armalite rifles, from the United States.[3] The Armalite can refer to a version of the AR-15 (M16) rifle made specifically by the Armalite Corporation or to the Armalite AR-18, a slightly later, improved, 5.56mm rifle. Both weapons have been used by the IRA in its armed campaign, however, the song originally referred to the Armalite AR-180 semi-automatic rifle that was available to civilians in the United States at the time. (See also Provisional IRA arms importation)
The song places the narrator at first in a disadvantaged position, he is beaten and insulted by a British soldier. However, when he obtains his rifle, he is able to fight back against the British Army and the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC), even when they are equipped with Saracen and Saladin armoured cars. Each chorus celebrates Provisional IRA ("Provo") actions and references different republican strongholds. Firstly the Falls Road and Poleglass in Belfast, then the Bogside area of Derry and Bellaghy in southern County Londonderry and Crossmaglen in South Armagh.