I just read over the posts and I think at this point we have a few options...

1. wait it out and see what happens (most realistic)
2. take HTRegz's suggestion and someone put up their own IRC server and redirect irc.antionline.com to that server (either pay for it or have JupMan do it for free)
3. we set up a good 'ol BBS (this is my prefered lol). I love the old things. For anyone who doesn't know what they are, they were around in the 80s and early 90s. They are message board/chat/game center that people used to dial into, now people use telnet.

Realisticaly though? I'd say that we have to go down route 1.