It's browser-based (node sends the irc events to the browser via web socket). I'm using Total.js as my framework and Bootstrap for responsive styling.

Very cool, do you have a WIP demo online? I'd love to see it

Not as of yet, but I'll toss one up once I have something a bit more functional. Until then, screenshots:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/mlyhzgxswh60j6w/nodeirc1.png
https://www.dropbox.com/s/m115361y1yq79k6/nodeirc2.png
https://www.dropbox.com/s/3w68lntv2mid8hp/nodeirc3.png
You can see the messages relayed from node in the first 2 shots. jQuery then emits events from this data. Most of the processing is done on the page.

Seems Interesting. Though there's an error

        if (keyA < keyB) return 1;
        if (keyA > keyB) return -1;

->

        if (keyA > keyB) return 1;
        if (keyA < keyB) return -1;

Good eye... Fixed the snippet and the fiddle.

In fact, it is not sorting names without prefix, you'll need also to change these lines:

default: mA=0; break;
//->
default: mA=0; var keyA=a; break;

default: mB=0; break;
//->
default: mB=0; var keyB=b; break;

Can't believe I didn't notice that O.o ... all fixed up now.