Just a note, you can no longer connect using a chat client such as Mirc, unless you're a registered user on the chat server.
To register, you need to log in via the webpage using the flash client. Once you've joined, click "Options", then "Register". Once you've registered, you can now connect using a chat client. You just need to type in "/msg nickserv identify password" (password being your password) when you sign in for the server to recognise you.