Complex sentence: This occurred at the height of the Popish Plot, which created an uncontrollalbe atmosphere of anti-Catholic hysteria, at a time when several Irish judges had open Roman Catholic sympathies, despite the practice of that faith being (in theory) a bar to public office.
Split into simpler sentences: This occurred at the height of the Popish Plot, which created an uncontrollalbe atmosphere of anti-Catholic hysteria. At this time several Irish judges had open Roman Catholic sympathies, despite the practice of that faith being (in theory) a bar to public office.