Roger,
I am sorry that I can not help with your specific question but I can point you to some Catalyst resources that should not be an issue for you. The first is the Catalyst::Manual, the second is the Catalyst mail list, and the third is CGI:IRC. I do not advocate bypassing corporate security for nefarious purposes but setting up a http <-> irc proxy to a specific channel on a specific server for work related purposes is ok.^*

* It is morally ok by me. You should still make sure you are not violating corporate policy.