I created and uploaded this to my webspace, it's Java based IRC, all my website does is hold the code which runs off freejavachat.com's servers. It's the closest thing to free IRC I can find, and doesn't require you to download a IRC client, just to be able to open this webpage and have Java Running.
Give it a shot, if it works and you like it, bookmark it.
http://webpages.charter.net/shattered/jimbutcheronline.html
And for those of us who already use an irc client, what is the channel you have set up named?
Also, is the server ircstorm.net?
---EDIT---
Answered my own questions here.
For the IRC users out there: IRC://irc.ircstorm.net:6667 channel: #jimbutcheronline
If anyone is interested in using an IRC client to get there, let me know and I can set up an FAQ or something somewheres on the use of IRC.