Ill try to help you a bit....

1.) Download and install irc, im going to assume your using mIRC as the irc client.
2.) Open irc. [Start>Programs>mIRC]
3.) Enter personal info. I usually lie about it, just put your real/fake first name and last name in, email, and then your desired nickname, also put an alternate nickname if that one is already chosen.
4.) Correct Server. Click on what looks like a litte sun beside the button "Connect to server". once you get here there will be 2 tabs, "Irc network" and "Irc Server". Dont even bother with the Irc server, just choose the network and let that choose the server. Now lets say your trying to connect to gotwoot, you would look at gotwoots website, and lok for their irc info. They are #gotwoot on irc.rizon.net. So click the tab "Irc Networks" and choose Rizon.[ when you get the basic feel of irc, instead of doing that, type "/server irc.rizon.net" or whatever server it is you wanna get onto.
5.) Connecting to a channel. On irc, everything goes by a channel, dont get confused, this is just like any chat room, just go to favorites [at the top of the mIRC window] organize favorites> type the channel in [in this case #gotwoot] then "join". this will join you to gotwoots channel. Now once again once you get the basic feel, just type "/join #gotwoot" or whatever channel you would like to get on.
6.) Registering a nickname. So you can keep your nickname, and smeone cant steal it, you must register to it, to do this click on your "Rizon" window [down with your channels] and type "/msg nickserv register password email" that will register the nickname your currently using [some networks require a validation code, just follow the instructions given to you on the server window]. Now that your nickname is registered, you must identify yourself, this is required for is you have status ina channel, or if a channel only allows identified users to speak/leech. Everytime you open mIRC it will connect to the server you were last on, which means if you are using the smae nick you registered your nickname on, the following message will pop up:
-NickServ- This nickname is registered and protected. If it is your
-
-NickServ- nick, type /msg NickServ IDENTIFY password. Otherwise,
-
-NickServ- please choose a different nick.

all you do now, is copy and paste /msg NickServ IDENTIFY hten type your password that you chose in the above step. It's that simple now your identified.
7.)Leeching. I am too lazy to go in depth on this, but there is 3 types of fileservers. The first is an fserv, anyone can run this, this is when a user serves anime, this is a bit confusing to use and explain, which is why I wont, go to some help channels or google it, but I will say, if you are planning to open this fileserver, or any fileserver which I am about to explain, get sysreset instead of mIRC, dont worry the same things steps apply, it is just a different client which is easier to fileserv on. Next is a TDCC, this a server which can be a user, or a bot, it hold only 1 file, and to access it you type !list [you also type that to see fserves] and follow the TDCC's steps given. The third kind of fileserver is an XDCC. there is 2 kinds of XDCC's, 1 run by people [which you just do the same as the TDCC except follow the instructions given by the XDCC] and the second kind is a bot. usually thses bots will be noticable because they will be named something like "ANBU|Naruto" [that is an actual xdcc in #anbudom]. All you do with these kind of bots, is type "xdcc list" and on the channel screen [where the bot is from] a list of file will show up, as packets, with #'s beside them. [some xdcc's only allow you to view there list when its publically made to the channel] once you get the # you want just type "xdcc send #1 [or whatever packet you want]. Thats about as in depth im going to go on that.

Some Basic Rules:
Dont Spam [Advertisements, etc.]
Dont Flame
DONT Argue With An OP[ these are the people who have special status in the channel, they are noticeable by *usually* an @, %, and on some other servers !, or & [but on rizon theres only @, and %] ill explain these status symbols shortly.
Dont let on that your a n00b, try not to run into anbudom, or animeone, and ask for help, they get annoyed,a dn wil most likely ban you.
Read the rules before doing @finds, !lists, or public XDCC lists [usually to do this you ype !rules]
Dont run into a channel, !list, then leave, people get annoyed and will most likely ban you from the channel if you do this repeatedly.

Status Symbols:
@ = OP [Operator]
% = hOP [Half Operator]
+ = Voiced [you can speak if the channel is moderated]

Those are 3 most basic status symbols, i wont sya the others, since I dont know them.

Some Basic Commands:
[In a channel]
@find - you do a @find "anime" and then various server windows will pop up telling you if they have that anime.
!list - do this to see fserves, TDCC's, and XDCC's
!rules - do this to see the rules of a channel

[Commands outside of a channel]
/join #channel
/server "server address"
/list [do this for a channel list]

Hope I was of some help, later.

-- Joker-kun