We present a parallax measurement for the very cool degenerate WD 0346+246,
the serendipitous discovery of which was reported by Hambly et al, We find
an absolute parallax of 36 +/- 5 mas, yielding a distance estimate of 28 /- 4pc. The resulting absolute visual magnitude of the object is M-V = 16.8
+/- 0.3, making it the second-lowest luminosity white dwarf currently know
n. We use the distance estimate and measured proper motion to show that the
object has kinematics consistent with membership of the Galactic halo. WD
0346+246 is therefore by far the coolest and least luminous of only a handf
ul of plausible halo white dwarf candidates. As such, the object has releva
nce to the ongoing debate concerning the results of microlensing experiment
s and the nature of any baryonic dark matter component to the Galactic halo
residing in stellar remnants.