Foley

Foley may refer to several related but distinct concepts in medicine, film sound, and naming. In medical contexts, a Foley catheter is a flexible tube inserted through the urethra into the bladder to drain urine. It is typically equipped with a retention balloon to keep it in place and is used in surgery, after injury, or for urinary retention management.

In film and television production, a Foley artist creates everyday sound effects to accompany on-screen action. These artists use a variety of props and techniques to reproduce sounds such as footsteps, cloth rustle, or object handling, timing the sounds to match the picture. The practice is named after Jack Foley, an early American innovator in synchronized sound effects.

As a surname, Foley is of Irish origin, an Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Foghlú, and is common in Ireland and among the Irish diaspora. The name appears across many fields, including politics, sports, and the arts.

Geographically, Foley is the name of places in the United States, notably Foley, Alabama, a city in Baldwin County.