New to Java

Hi everybody,
first of all : I don't know where to post this kind of question, therefore I post it here, because I'm a beginner in this area.

Can I connect to a IRC Server with my Java application? I think of something like this:
I start my java prog and specify : connect to server irc.<whatever> , then I join a channel with my username and password.

I know I could use an existing IRC Client, like MIRC or something else, but this is just the beginning of my question.

Can I get the output of this channel (what is posted by the users) and append it in e.g. my JTextPane ? (i know how to append text etc.)

I would appreciate any kind of help, if you know good links etc. I thankful too.