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Transfer reactions offer the possibility to study single-particle structure in exotic nuclei, including the structure of ground states, the structure of excited states, and the location and distribution of single particle strength. The last of these means that the evolution of single particle orbitals away from stability, and the consequent changes in shell structure and collectivity, can be studied in detail. The kinematics of transfer reactions initiated by protons and deuterons, in inverse kinematics, have characteristic features that mean a general-purpose design of array can be applied to a wide range of experiments. Due to resolution considerations, coincident gamma-ray detection is highly desirable or even essential. A new silicon detector array called TIARA has been designed so that it can be used together with the segmented germanium detectors of the EXOGAM array. The setup for TIARA is now complete, having been built by several UK groups, and it was recently commissioned by the extended UK-France-Spain collaboration at GANIL. The EXOGAM gamma-ray detectors can be placed as close as 50mm to the target, covering 2/3 of 4π, so as to give the maximum detection efficiency. Simultaneously, the VAMOS magnetic spectrometer can be coupled to the system at zero degrees, to separate the beam from reaction products and give precise energy and angle measurements. The features of TIARA, as presently installed, are described. © 2004 American Institute of Physics [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]