The system, probably by design but also to limit capacity requirements for the server, is ephemeral, everything only exists in the moment and once everyone leaves the channel it ceases to exist, once your connection breaks your nick ceases to exist. There is no storage at all.
You need the irc services to keep specified information (like ownership of channels and nicknames) and they probably could also collect logs, with some limitations in case of netsplits of course.
You need the irc services to keep specified information (like ownership of channels and nicknames) and they probably could also collect logs, with some limitations in case of netsplits of course.