Complex sentence: As a result of the Irish Times article, people who had marginal interest or knowledge of the Irish soccer team, now became divided into two sides of a national argument, one side supporting Keane and one side supporting McCarthy/the FAI.
Split into simpler sentences: As a result of the Irish Times article, people who had marginal interest or knowledge of the Irish soccer team. Ireland, essentially now became divided into two sides of a national argument, one side supporting Keane and one McCarthy/the FAI.