We actually used to have an irc channel on efnet - #chameleons. I don't think many people were excited about having to download and use a separate program for chat. Some of those that did try it had configuration problems; the learning curve can be steep compared to more recent technology. There was an optional java client that some members used, but the majority of people had problems with that as well. All of this resulted in an irc channel that was probably empty 99% of the time.
I like irc and have been using it for longer than I can remember. However, because of the reasons listed above I am not sure it is the best solution for this community. I guess if enough people showed interest we could try again and start a new channel.