It is fundamentally important to understand, control, and predict the effect of irradiation on the structure and optical properties of functional materials. In this work, the thermal stability of fast-neutron induced point defects has been investigated in polycrystalline transparent alumina ceramics. The results of a combined study of electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and photoluminescence spectroscopy are presented in this paper. The EPR signals related to different trapped-hole centers as well as electron-type F+ centers have been observed after neutron irradiation. Rapid decay of the total EPR signal intensity occurs after annealing in 600–750 K temperature range. The selective luminescence bands related to the F- and F2-type centers are detected under irradiated corundum ceramics photoexcitation within relevant defect absorption bands (i.e. intracenter excitation/emission).