Ok I would definitely be interested in a ds irc channel.
Now there are a few ways we can do this, the easiest would be to find a server that has java web browser support. e.g. The server I go on, all you'd have to do is go to this page
http://wikkedwire.com/javachat.html and put in your nick and to enter channel #Flagel and you would be in my channel. Of course we don't need to use my channel, and it would be easy to make a specific one. Using java is often easy for noobs, so then you don't have to download an irc client.
Or you could chose one of these servers
http://www.irchelp.org/irchelp/networks/servers/
and see if either they have their own java set up, or make a new channel on there, and provide instruction for how to use irc for those who don't already know.
Now from either of those steps, we could see how many are interested, and have channel operators to ensure things run smoothly.
Hope I helped.